


♥Hibiscus & Topaz♥

by captainisabela



Series: ♥Lillies of the Valley & Emeralds♥ [1]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, At some point?, College Parties, M/M, Minor Character Death, Recreational Drug Use, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, alcohol use, angst I guess?, every time i update read the tags bc i dont wanna give spoilers, its nobody important i promise, so i guess this is all i can tag for now shfldsjf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-04-30 11:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14496201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainisabela/pseuds/captainisabela
Summary: Hakyeon transfers to a college in America and he's alone, until suddenly he's not so alone anymore and he's found much more than he thought he ever would.





	1. ♥Paint it on a Little Thicker♥

**Author's Note:**

> hiiiiii this fic,,,,, is my whole ass baby,,,, ive had this whole series planned since last summer,,,, i already have 20k+ written for this fic,,,, ive put so much work into it,,,, pls love my baby,,,, my pride n joy,,,, pls give us a chance,,,,, thank u,,,,

A breeze of stale air blows out of the opened door and Hakyeon is taken aback for a second, then tentatively steps through the doorway. Only a couple more steps bring him into the middle of the small dorm and Hakyeon’s initial awe at finally being here slowly transforms into disappointment. On the left side wall was a tiny loft bed with an equally as tiny desk under it. In front of it, beside the door was a tall, yet still small wardrobe. A couple feet away, the right side of the room mirrored the other. To put it in simple words, the room was drab and suffocating. There wasn’t even a window, just one fluorescent light bulb in the middle of the ceiling. Suddenly Hakyeon needed to get some air.

Quickly, Hakyeon places his bags by the left side desk, claiming it, before exiting and blending into the crowd of other new students in the halls. With the number of people bustling around and chattering, Hakyeon wondered where his roommate was, if he had one. He was nervous walking down the stairs, caught up in his thoughts and anxieties of dorm life. Everything was much too unfamiliar. As he got closer to the doors, all propped open for the moving students, the smell of fresh air grew stronger. Even that smelt unfamiliar. Yet Hakyeon still took deep gulping breaths when he made it to a bench just outside.

In theory, Hakyeon thinks, moving to America to pursue his lifelong dream of being a film director was a great idea, but now he’s starting to believe that he is wrong. What made him think that he’d be able to do this? He knows nobody here, he’s by himself in a new country surrounded by a language and culture that is foreign to him. There isn’t anyone here to guide him and help him. Who does he go to if something happens to him? Hakyeon is alone and it scares him, he feels the fear dig into his bones, and he isn’t really sure if his goosebumps are entirely from the cold air. He sighs, getting up from the bench, not wanting to waste too much time. He hopes his roommate is nice.

The walk to his dorm is tiring; He was more drained that he thought. By the time he got up to his floor, he was breathing heavy. At this point, all Hakyeon wants is a nice nap, but the door to his dorm room is wide open and a couple of small boxes are parked out front. It isn’t like Hakyeon doesn’t have bags of his own to unpack still, but he sighs anyways, suddenly unmotivated. He steels himself and walks to the door.

A boy is sat on the floor toward the right side of the room, his suitcase opened next to him. It looked like he was putting hangers on and folding clothes. The room was quiet. It felt like if Hakyeon were to go in, an imaginary bubble would pop and awkwardness would leak into the peacefulness. Hakyeon almost wanted to knock. The boy noticed him though, looking up at him. He then went back to folding. The tension was gone then, yet also thicker, but the boy saw him so Hakyeon walked through the door and went to his own side of the room. Pulling his suitcase to the ground, he bent over and unzipped it, the metallic sound too loud. Neither of them spoke as they unpacked their clothing and neither spoke as they set up their belongings on the desk. Hakyeon didn’t like it. He didn’t like the boy either. Was too quiet, didn’t even say hello. His own roommate didn’t even want to talk to him.

Mouths didn’t open until the boy tried to put his sheets on the bed. Hakyeon had done his already, was contemplating going out to get authentic American food or just stopping by the school cafeteria. The boy spoke up then, turning to Hakyeon shyly. “Hey,” he called out, both as a greeting and to get his attention. He looked down at the other from his bed, unimpressed, though his face wasn’t too far away. The boy was pretty tall, a couple inches taller than Hakyeon himself (which was the only thing Hakyeon found impressive, really, he’s always been the tallest, even without his insoles). When Hakyeon didn’t reply, he continued, holding his hand out. “I’m Lee Wonkeun.” Softly, the newly introduced boy smiled, still quite shy.

“Cha Hakyeon.” He replied, tentatively taking the boy’s hand and shaking it. The other’s smile grew a bit, and he took his hand back.

“It’s nice to meet you!” Wonkeun said quietly, clearing his throat after a couple seconds of silence. “Um. I was wondering if you could help me put my sheets on my bed? I’m having trouble.” Not one to deny helping people, Hakyeon nodded, sliding off the little section with the ladder. He climbed up onto the other’s bed, taking a corner of the sheets. Wonkeun followed him up, kneeling at the edge. Motioning for him take the edge across from him, Hakyeon tucked his corner under the mattress.

The boy was quiet again, not talking as he crawled up the bed. Silence bothered Hakyeon when it came to situations like this, he considered it rude. So fine, he decided, pressing down on the mattress so that the corner didn’t come up when Wonkeun pulled it taut. He was just going to do the talking. It wasn’t like he didn’t need to make friends anyways. “What are you majoring in?” Hakyeon crawled back to the other end of the bed, pulling the sheet with him. Wonkeun held down the other side, biting his lip at the question.

“Um. Theatre I guess. I want to be an actor.” Hakyeon hums, nodding as he tucks the third corner in. “What about you?” Hakyeon tucks the last corner in, answering.

“Film. I like acting but I want to be a film director, in Hollywood.” He says the last part sheepishly, a little afraid of being made fun of. Pursuing his dream in America didn’t sit well with his mother, initially. Why couldn’t he just become a film director in Seoul? South Korea made tons of films and dramas, and they were done very well. It just wasn’t the same for Hakyeon.

Wonkeun laughed, though not at him. “That’s kind of a coincidence don’t you think? Putting an actor and a director to room together? I hope you’ll choose me to act in your final project!” He was less shy now that he and Hakyeon have something in common. Hakyeon smiled with a little laugh of his own then too, genuinely this time. He climbed off the bed, sliding down so he could hand Wonkeun his pillows and blankets. “Thank you!” The boy (Wonkeun; Hakyeon is going to have to remember his name better) called out, slipping off of his bed. “How about I treat you to some Burger King as thanks? You look hungry and it tastes a lot different than in Korea!”

***

The topic of soulmates comes up about a week after moving in, on the way to one of their shared afternoon classes. It isn’t anything inappropriate to talk about or ask someone, people are mostly enthusiastic to talk about their identification marks and show them off. Hakyeon thinks it’s kind of beautiful, honestly. How every single person on this planet is unique, nobody is the same; There hasn’t been a single repeated identification mark in recorded history so far. When he was a kid he doubted it, logically, there was no way that something couldn’t happen twice in the world. But he’s met many people in his twenty-one years of life, and he’s never seen so many soulmarks.

Soulmarks can range from simple to complex, plain to striking, but Hakyeon thinks they’re all beautiful in their own way. Back home Hakyeon had a friend where, as she got older, two small “H’s” appeared behind her ears and she wasn’t complete until she met a boy who had the lyrics of the first song she ever wrote on his wrist and a boy who couldn’t see red or yellow until he met them. She didn’t find them, didn’t know they were meant to be together until they met while auditioning for a band. They called themselves Triple H after that, formed their own band together, when Hyojong said her red hair was beautiful and Huitaek sung the opening lines of her song perfectly. Hakyeon misses talking to them; It’s been a while since he’s seen Hyunah.

Wonkeun talked excitedly about his soul mark, as he tended to do with everything. A small, transparent camera film roll was etched onto his hip, the tattoo pale and bumpy. He had yanked his shirt up to show Hakyeon, but was quickly scolded, smacked on the stomach and told to cover himself. It was simple, but Wonkeun seemed to love it with all of his heart, and it made Hakyeon feel soft. Earlier, Wonkeun confessed that he initially thought Hakyeon was his soulmate, with him studying film and all, and that’s why he was still so shy. He then saw Hakyeon’s own soul marks after he wore a tank top to bed and sort of just knew that what he thought was wrong. His confession though, led to their conversation now.

“Will you let me see it again, Hakyeonnie?” Wonkeun pleaded, holding on to the older’s bicep with both hands. Hakyeon rolled his eyes, half out of annoyance (Hakyeon sometimes wishes that Wonkeun would go back to being quiet) and half out of affection. Even though Hakyeon didn’t like him much at first, the two of them became close rather quickly, had found it easy to talk to each other. It turned out that Wonkeun has just come to this school only this year too so, they were sort of each other’s first friend and it made Hakyeon feel some sort of connection with him. The two clicked well, and Hakyeon was thankful, even though Wonkeun was a mischievous shit.

“Fine.” Hakyeon sighed, shrugging his wet windbreaker off. It was too cold and rainy for late August, and Hakyeon’s mood was a bit sour. Wonkeun clapped, smiling impishly. Pulling his right sleeve up, Hakyeon tried to act annoyed, and but his composure melted once his marks were exposed. Something about seeing his soulmarks made him soft and he felt affection burst in his chest. He felt a second pang quickly after, skin tingling, familiar and comforting. Wonkeun traced his fingers over the marks, a soft “woah” slipping out.

Although Hakyeon loves his soulmarks with his whole entire being and more, Hakyeon wasn’t really sure why Wonkeun was so fascinated by them. Hakyeon himself wasn’t really sure what they meant, they were simple and their identifying actions were unknown. On his right bicep were five thick bands, almost like a tattoo, but too soft and muted to truly be one. According to his mother, the first one appeared a couple of months after he was born, indicating that he’s the oldest of the set, afterwards four more popped up, the last appearing when he was five. Nothing special has happened to them, the marks seem to just be there. Hakyeon anticipates meeting them all, perhaps something will happen then.

Wonkeun ahhed, examining them for another moment before pulling away, shifting his backpack on his shoulder. He pulls open the door to the building, letting Hakyeon inside first. The older sighed, engulfed in the glory of the shelter. Words couldn’t describe how disappointed Hakyeon was when he saw how dreary it was here. He had to settle for a smaller school in Boston rather than the Los Angeles Film School, and he wasn’t particularly happy about it. Instead of beaches and the sun, Hakyeon was surrounded by forests and rain (and snow, Wonkeun helpfully points out). In a reality where Hakyeon wasn’t so bitter, it was alright, it still got Hakyeon in America and it got him learning and improving, so Hakyeon can’t really complain much.

***

Hakyeon was struggling, has very much underestimated how much of a challenge this was going to be. Not often did he doubt himself, Hakyeon has always been fairly confident in himself and his abilities, never had much difficulty engaging in school, but learning here in America was much different than what he was used to. Of course, Hakyeon knew that, had expected that, but he hadn’t really prepared himself enough to be faced with it. A lot of vocabulary used in lectures Hakyeon didn’t quite understand and sometimes context clues didn’t help. Often he found himself wishing that Wonkeun, or just any friend really were in all of his classes rather than just a few. But Hakyeon has become fairly quiet since moving, a result of being somewhere new and realising that you don’t know as much as you should to get around. That meant it was difficult to make new friends, he’s been here for a long month now and he only knew a few people well enough to want to even try and hold a conversation with them, all who had been friends with Wonkeun first.

His wish came true eventually, a few weeks too late, but still came, in the shape of a boy named Lee Minhyuk, contributing to the surprising amount of Minhyuks here. Anyways, Hakyeon found comfort in him, an exchange student from Korea similar to himself, just smaller and from the north. They met in a film class and then some, Minhyuk studying both acting and film production letting him attend a few more classes with Hakyeon than Wonkeun can. Minhyuk was a cute and energetic boy, the same age as Hakyeon but younger in the way that he acts. Unfortunately, Hakyeon really only gets to see him in class, sports is something that suits Minhyuk well, almost more than film does. In fact, Minhyuk managed to slither his way over here spending the minimum amount of money, lucky to get a sports scholarship from across the Pacific Ocean. Between track, swimming, soccer, and studying, Minhyuk really only has time for his soulmate, who he was lucky enough to become roommates with.

Hyunsik and Minhyuk were cute together though Hakyeon was sure it was a bit awkward at first. They came from totally different backgrounds and have a few differences, but soulmates were soulmates and they moved past that quickly. Minhyuk talks about it a lot, how he’s heard this boy in his dreams since he was young, woke up every morning trying to communicate to these brand new sounds from his sleep with his own childish noises and the few Korean words that he knew. As he grew up, he listened to Hyunsik grow up every night, even as he began to utter his own first words in a language that Minhyuk didn’t know. He remembers so long ago when he was around five, confessing to his mother that he heard a voice in his dream and recited the broken English he had heard; this is when he learned what soulmates were, and he was enraptured ever since.

As for Hyunsik, he saw rather than heard Minhyuk in his dreams, doing the most normal things. Minhyuk went to school like Hyunsik did, ate like Hyunsik did, showered like Hyunsik did, but it felt so special to him. Almost like he was peeking in on his parents wrapping his birthday presents or when the teaser for a new music video comes out. Even though he’s younger by a couple years, he has watched Minhyuk grow as well, learned from him too, his mother so confused as to where he began picking up these Korean words from, friends confused when he already knew the consequences of mistakes that he has never made.

Hyunsik learned of Minhyuk’s transfer through his dreams, saw him open the acceptance letter to his own school and yell in excitement, shove the letter in his parents’ faces. Later he watched as Minhyuk packed his bags, watched as he stepped on a plane headed for Boston. Halfway through the flight, Hyunsik woke up, heart beating fast. An odd feeling travelled through his body, started from the tips of his fingers and toes, swam through his veins and shot into his soul. Hyunsik just knew then, knew that his new roommate was going to be the boy he has dreamed of all his life. When Hakyeon asked, he said that the feeling was indescribable and something you’ve never felt before, but you’d know when you felt it, know that you were so very close to meeting your soulmate.

None of this helped Hakyeon in school nor his regular life, though. Many of his friends had tried to help him but most of the time it didn’t work as planned, either their Korean wasn’t good enough, or their English wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate their efforts or anything of that sort, it was just… frustrating that he had this help yet he still could not improve. Hakyeon was currently on his way back to his dorm after an impromptu English lesson with Hyunsik and Minhyuk, scrolling through Twitter when he heard the woosh notification indicating that he got an email. He continued walking as he opened it, though he stilled when he saw who it was from and why.

Office Meeting from Professor Choi

Professor Choi was Hakyeon’s Literature teacher, a required class that he has to take, but also a class that he was currently failing. “Office Meeting” was definitely a subject Hakyeon feared, one on one time with anybody was difficult and having a meeting with a teacher was nerve-wracking, especially because he knew he was failing that class. Holding his breath, Hakyeon opened the email, preparing for the worst.

Hello, Hakyeon  
This is Professor Choi Minho of English Literature 101. I would like to call you to my office Wednesday at 2:30 pm in regards to your current grade and potential tutoring.  
Thank you, Professor Choi

It was short and to the point but it still stung, the idea of not doing well in school has never sat well with Hakyeon and that hasn’t changed even though he sort of has an excuse. Sighing, he continued on his path home, and though he tried to remain optimistic (at least he’ll be getting a tutor to help him!!), his mood was still brought down and Wonkeun could tell as soon as he walked in the door. He looked up from his spot on the bed, him and Hakyeon managed to scrounge up two small TVs and mounts for them to put on the wall in front of their beds (their different interests made the realise how difficult having just one big TV would be) and most of the time when Wonkeun was home with free time, he could be seen playing overwatch as he was now when Hakyeon shuffled in.

Pressing a few buttons and leaving the game, (he winced, knowing his friends would give him hell for it later) Wonkeun set his controller down, using his fists to turn his body in Hakyeon’s direction. Below him, Hakyeon tossed his bag on the floor by his desk chair, standing for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure what to do with himself, before collapsing on his chair, head lolling back with a sigh. Wonkeun frowned, playing with his fingers.

“...Is everything okay, Yeonnie?” It wasn’t like they weren’t close friends by now, but feelings weren’t really a topic they have covered yet and Wonkeun was a bit nervous that he was prying too far, but he also wanted Hakyeon to feel better and that overcame his anxiety. Hakyeon pursed his lips.

“I...guess? I dunno. I got an email from Professor Choi telling me to go to his office to talk about… getting a tutor? Which would be good right? For English? I just don’t like not being good.” Hakyeon spun slowly in his chair, eyes closed and hands gripping the arms. “I don’t want to see his disappointment I think.”

Wonkeun nods. “That… makes sense. But I think it’ll be good for you, the whole point isn’t to make you feel bad, it’s to help you get better!! Try thinking about it this way? I’ve never had Professor Choi but he seems nice, he’s friends with my World History Professor so he must be nice.”

Hakyeon sighs, but nods and thanks Wonkeun anyways. In his mind, he knows he won’t truly see it that way, but he’ll try, if not for his own mind then for him and Minhyuk’s. He’s sure they don’t want to see his mood so low for the next week until he’s supposed to meet with Professor Choi. Perhaps he’s being a bit overdramatic but if Hakyeon wasn’t just a little bit overdramatic about anything then he wasn’t really Hakyeon, so he thinks it’s okay for now and leaves it how it is in his mind, half good and half bad and he just…waits.

***

Minhyuk grips Hakyeon’s hand tight as they walk down the small aisle cutting through the rows of seats in the lecture hall. He’s pretty sure that this is the fullest he’s seen the class this whole semester, it was big lecture important to their finals, still not for some time (Professor Choi just realises the importance of preparing early), but Hakyeon’s pretty sure that most of them are here to see the new TA being introduced today. Apparently a student saw him earlier during Professor Choi’s office hours (Hakyeon cringed a bit on the inside when Minhyuk took his arm and spilled the gossip. He was meant to meet with him tomorrow.) and claimed that he was very hot and young too, even managed to snap a (very) blurry picture of the poor kid and spread it to the entire class and then some. Hakyeon was fairly certain that a few of these kids were a bit younger than the rest of them.

It was only a couple minutes before class was due to start and though there were still a good amount of students milling about, Professor Choi had a small habit of being a bit late so nobody was too concerned about finding their seats just yet. The chatter was steady as Minhyuk led Hakyeon towards the front rows (“I wanna get a good look at him.” “You have a soulmate, Minhyuk.” “And?”) and towards the middle and Hakyeon made a face at Minhyuk’s seating choice. He let himself be pulled down anyways, the rest of the class beginning to find their own seats and it would be too much trouble for the two of them to relocate. Hakyeon would just have to suffer through the hour and a half long lecture. Professor Choi stepped through the door not too long after the class had settled, walked confidently down the main aisle and to his desk without any signs of sheepishness or remorse. He truly did not care. Behind Professor Choi shuffled another man, tall and a bit scrawny, and looked young from what Hakyeon could see, couldn’t be much older than him, if older at all. As the boy followed in Professor Choi’s trail, the student’s silence broke into a hushed murmur (while Professor Choi was fairly laid back, he was still a professor and they still had work to do and rules to follow, and no excessive talking is one of them) and Hakyeon could only assume that this is the TA their whole year was talking about.

Minhyuk nudged Hakyeon in the ribs, earning himself a dangerous glare but continuing nonetheless. Hakyeon smacked him away in the annoyed yet fond way that Hakyeon seemed to have with many of his friends (he seemed to always be in this mood as well, Hakyeon loved his friends very much, but most days they act stupid and it exasperated him to no end). “Hey!” Minhyuk whispered harshly, elbow finding its way between two of Hakyeon’s ribs again. “It’s him!” Hakyeon looked down to where Minhyuk was nodding his head towards, the TA standing off to Professor Choi’s side at the front of the lecture hall. It was more out of a need to do whatever he could to get Minhyuk to calm down rather than his own curiosity that made Hakyeon observe the kid. Minhyuk was nosey (and so was Hakyeon, very much so, but he was a little stressed and not in the mood) and Hakyeon was more than one hundred percent sure he was going to hound Hakyeon for his thoughts as soon as he got a chance to. 

Perhaps it was too long that he observed the TA, Hakyeon’s eyes met the other’s briefly, and then they both looked away quickly. A sharp chill tore through Hakyeon’s body and he burned, every piece of him felt like it went up in flames, his heart, his soul, his arms, everything. Through his pain, he could only hear one thing through the blood rushing in his head, the soft sound of their new TA introducing himself as Jung Taekwoon. But if Jung Taekwoon has felt anything that Hakyeon did, the boy didn’t show it. Suddenly, Hakyeon was flooded with an emotion that he couldn’t quite put his finger on but it was one that he experienced often, best described as a mixture of concern, love, and calmness. It relaxed Hakyeon and his grip on Minhyuk’s thigh, took the pounding in his head away until he could hear Minhyuk’s scared whispers and the class’ rise in volume. The burning subsided and Hakyeon could feel sweat pasting his shirt to his back, this wasn’t normal and Hakyeon would feel fear if he could, but the power of the other emotions overrides his for now, and he ignores Minhyuk in favour of concentrating before the calm fades.

When Hakyeon gets home that night, undressed to take a shower, he notices something odd in the mirror. It was as if his heart had stopped entirely; Hakyeon’s blood went cold and his face was paler than anyone ever thought a face could turn. Through the mirror, he sees his arm, his soulmarks and one of his bands is no longer like the others. One of his bands is now a dark, muted green, not too much different from the muted black they normally are, you might not even be able to tell the difference at first. But this is connected to Hakyeon’s soul and he knows, he feels that something is different, something is wrong. It feels tight in Hakyeon’s chest with an emotion similar to fear. All his life, Hakyeon has been waiting for this, had prayed before bed as a child and begged sarcastically (but deep down, not really) to the skies as a teenager, just to meet his soulmates. Yet he felt so… scared. Hakyeon has always been one to overthink and his mind was running wild. There were many matters of concern, but the one that got Hakyeon the most was simple.

Who is his soulmate?

***

Red burned into black under the spark as it sizzled down the string. His eyes followed the fire, matching its slow pace down the loose thread. It felt odd, his first finger. He had never been so close to one of them before, all of his strings have always been fairly taught, sagging and tightening as him and his partners went about their days. It let him know that they were near but it also let him know that they weren’t close enough. This specific string though, has always been incredibly tight, almost too tight (he swears it had almost pulled him before) and he knew that this one was much, much farther away from him than the others. For the longest time, he was afraid they’d never meet until school started, when he woke up one morning to find a few of the strings much looser than usual.

Blackness engulfed the whole string now and he looked up once the fire fizzled onto his mate’s finger. Their eyes met, and he had to quickly look away and suppress a shudder of his own. His body was burning the moment he had stepped into the room and only now did it cool. It took him two minutes before he tried to discreetly look at the boy, who didn’t seem quite all there anymore. Yet their eyes still met and the boy’s eyes mirrored the fire in his soul. Taekwoon was entranced.


	2. This Night is Deeply Spreading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakyeon goes to his meeting with Professor Choi and finds a little more than what he had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof i know this ones kinda short but with the way the writing was it would've been weird to cut it off any time after,,, i suppose this is somewhat of a filler because the plot isn't moved much but,,,, the next chapter,,, ;)  
> anyways pls enjoy n ill see yall next monday !!!

After Hakyeon had gotten over his initial dread, he took his shower in complete silence, when normally he could be heard humming tunes under his breath. His movements were a little bit mechanical as he washed up, Hakyeon was stuck up in his mind. Really, he should have saved his shower for tomorrow morning and went back to his dorm and spoken to anyone about this, but instead he figured he needed time alone. It was a bad choice on his part, his mind was muddled over and not being able to think right over something so important only frustrated Hakyeon further. In the end, Hakyeon just paused. Trying to think and trying to wash up was hard and he was still exhausted from his day. His bones felt heavy and his skin still prickled like there was a raging fire about to engulf him.

In the end, Hakyeon had stayed in the public showers far too long, much longer than any other student would dare. He almost couldn’t bring himself to wash the shampoo out of his hair and finish washing his body, but he did eventually, almost an hour later when he heard his phone ring and ring. Wonkeun was probably at the door waiting for Hakyeon to come out, worried and angry. When he slowly crept out the door, the hallway was empty and Hakyeon was relieved. He was still shaken from his discovery and he took his time to get back to his dorm, using it to try and collect himself so he didn’t seem like such a mess when he walked in. 

Of course, Wonkeun was able to see right through him, coddled him as soon as Hakyeon stepped through the door, sat him on their beanbag chairs and wrapped him in a tight hug. Inside he felt a flood of emotions build up, some he recognised from earlier mixed with softer ones, just as intense. Now that Hakyeon was in a safe space and with someone he felt so comfortable with, it was easy to let himself gush what he needed to get out and confess to Wonkeun what he discovered. Finding out that he had met his soulmate obviously had an emotional toll; Hakyeon cried into Wonkeun’s sweater. The fact that he didn’t even realise made it somber rather than exciting and Hakyeon was a little afraid.

“It’ll be okay Hakyeonnie! You’re soulmates, you have to meet again!”

Hakyeon tried to keep that in mind as he fell asleep on Wonkeun’s chest, but he had a nagging feeling in his heart that it wouldn’t be that easy. He forgets about everything he had experienced that day, from studying to the mysterious and quiet TA in Professor Choi’s class. His chest was tight and his mind was filled with thoughts of who his first soulmate was and the only thing that could lull him to sleep was Wonkeun’s warmth and the odd feelings of love and affection that radiated from his soul.

***

In the morning, Hakyeon had nearly forgotten the events of last night, his head hurt and his eyes were crusty and nose stuffed. For a good minute, he wondered if he had gotten drunk last night, but then his jumbled thoughts began to clear some and perhaps crying your eyes out on your best friend’s favourite sweater could have the same effect. Additionally, he had almost forgotten his meeting with Professor Choi this afternoon, but if he were to be honest, that was the last thing on his mind. And really, he should be more concerned about his schooling, but anything that happens at the meeting is nothing compared to his soulmate. Soulmates. He almost forgot. Hakyeon forgoes trying to go back to sleep in the ten minute time between his “wake up early” and “you’re cutting it close” alarms to dwell on the fact that maybe his soulmate had already found all of his other ones, perhaps they aren’t interested in finding their other ones. What if his soulmate doesn’t want to interact with their soulmates at all and that’s why they didn’t come to Hakyeon? What if Hakyeon is their only soulmate and they’re put off by the fact that Hakyeon has four other ones? 

Hakyeon lifted his arm to try and rub the thoughts out of his head through his eyes only to find that it was difficult to. In confusion, he tugged his hand up to his face to observe and he discovered a thin black string connected to his first finger. Sitting up, he followed the thread, where it had gotten caught on a screw in his ladder and trailed on the floor and out the door. As Hakyeon leaned down to unhook the string he discovered a couple things a bit odd. Once Hakyeon managed to get it unstuck, it phased through his hand, as if it were a ghost. He looked down at Wonkeun, who was awake and at his desk, chewing on a granola bar. Wonkeun just stared back at Hakyeon, put off. Hakyeon realised then, that Wonkeun couldn’t see the black strand. This meant that the string tied to his finger was, most likely, a soulmate thing. He supposes Wonkeun was correct when he said that they would have to come together eventually. It took Hakyeon a good amount of convincing to get Wonkeun to believe that Hakyeon wasn’t having post-mental breakdown hallucinations but it took a lot more for Wonkeun to keep Hakyeon from bolting out the door in his sleepwear.

“I don’t care! I have to go find them! I have this string for a reason, Wonkeun.” Hakyeon grimaced as Wonkeun tugged on his arm and Wonkeun sighed in exasperation.

“The string will still be there later today, Yeonnie. You have classes to go to, you’re going to be late, get it together before Hyunsik beats your ass.” Sniffing, Hakyeon yanked his arm from Wonkeun’s grip and held it to his chest.

“But what if it isn’t there Wonkeun? What if I miss my only chance to meet my soulmate because you made me go to class.” He rolled his eyes, but gathered his clothes anyways to change. The string moved occasionally as his soulmate, whom he assumed was on the other end, went about their day. Biting his lip, he considered. Wonkeun glared at him like a stern mother and it was unusual; Most of the time it was Hakyeon staring Wonkeun down, Hakyeon rarely did anything on the line of ridiculous. But Wonkeun was stronger than him and so was Hyunsik, who he knows Wonkeun would have no problems calling, so Hakyeon was unfortunately defeated for now.

“Why don’t you ask Minhyuk to go with you after your meeting with Professor Choi?” Hakyeon stuck his tongue out disgustedly, but thought about it anyways. There was a good chance Hakyeon would need a stress relieve afterwards anyways and he was sure nothing could make you more soft than meeting your soulmate for the first time.

“Fine.” Hakyeon snarked after he put his shirt on and snatched his morning shower bag from his desk. “But if I don’t meet them, you owe me.”

***

Although Hakyeon didn’t mean to, he eventually started following the string anyways. He went through his classes as he normally would but his concentration always stayed on the little thread, how it seemed to get looser or tighter as he moved, how when he was almost late to a film class, he ran over the string a bit too fast and he watched as it trailed behind him. Eventually his route seemed to take him wherever the thread wanted him to go. It would make Hakyeon nervous, if he weren’t already nervous; He was on his way to Professor Choi’s office right now. The string only got looser, curling in some spots, wavy in others as he traveled further on the floor with all of the professor’s personal offices. 

As Hakyeon stepped into the hallway where Professor Choi’s office was located, the thread contracted and Hakyeon was propelled forwards. He landed on the floor with a dull thud and Hakyeon prayed that nobody would come to investigate. There was no way he could explain being pulled by an invisible wire. The string still tugged harshly on his finger, urging Hakyeon to quickly get up and follow it to the end of the hall. And, coincidentally, Professor Choi’s office. Oh. Grinding against the bottom of the door, the string slipped between the small gap and into Professor Choi’s office. Oh. Clearly, this meant that Hakyeon’s soulmate was in there, living and breathing and suddenly Hakyeon wasn’t so sure if he should attend the meeting at all. As much as he whined about it this morning, Hakyeon wasn’t prepared for this and had hardly thought he would actually meet his soulmate, even if all of the circumstances called for it. But if he could see the black string then so could his soulmate. It was too late to back out now. Breathing in, Hakyeon knocked on the office door and twisted the knob slowly, waiting for Professor Choi’s permission to enter.

***

Hakyeon was dumb. He was incredibly stupid! Perhaps some people would be able to excuse him, claim that the emotions surrounding a soulmate meeting could take a toll on anyone’s state of mind at that moment. But Hakyeon wasn’t that dense and definitely should have realised that what he felt when he saw Professor Choi’s TA (Taekwoon, he vaguely remembers) wasn’t normal. But then, why was Taekwoon acting as if nothing had happened? Once Hakyeon walked in Professor Choi gestured to the seat next to Taekwoon in front of his desk. Hakyeon’s eyes traveled the short length of the rope to Taekwoon’s own first finger as he made his way to the plush chair. Once he sat, the thread burst into flames from both ends, and wilted away. An odd thing to happen on such a joyous occasion, but Hakyeon felt that it worked. He looked at Taekwoon then, but he was still staring at his own hand. Professor Choi cleared his throat.

“Hakyeon! How are you today? You look nervous.”

“Just a little bit.” He replied back, trying to chill his nerves out. Waves of calm washed over him, and Hakyeon was grateful for the impeccable timing on these odd little emotional disturbances. Professor Choi just nodded, clasping his hands together.

“Listen, I didn’t bring you here to make you feel bad or anything of that sort, Hakyeon, but it’s no secret that your grades in this class is much less than average and so close to the beginning of the year as well. Normally, college is a lot less hands on than what you’re used to in High School, but if we notice that a student is struggling we’ll do what we can to help.

It might be a sensitive topic, but this is a class you need to pass for graduation so it’s advised that we discuss this. Are you still having trouble with English?” Hakyeon nods, fidgeting. It was embarrassing, being put under fire like this, even though he knows it’s necessary and he knows that he got lucky. Professor Choi tries to smile at him comfortingly, and he appreciates the effort.

“If you’re willing, I feel like Taekwoon,” He leans over his small desk to pat Taekwoon on the shoulder in an affectionate, almost fatherly way. Hakyeon assumes that they must be close. “Might be able to help you out some. Tutor you in both the English language and this class perhaps? He’s fluent in Korean and, as someone studying to become a teacher, should be able to help you out more than most. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

Hakyeon bites his lip as if he were considering, but he has already made up his mind. Of course, he would love the opportunity to not only get his grade up, but also get close with his soulmate. But Professor Choi didn’t know that, and Taekwoon didn’t show it either. In fact, he was quiet and he had hardly looked at Hakyeon through the whole exchange. He didn’t know what that meant. Perhaps he really was one that wanted nothing to do with their soulmate?

“You don’t have to. It’s just a suggestion.”

“No, I just don’t want to... impose?” He glanced nervously at Taekwoon, but the other didn’t show many signs of anything. Hakyeon was the parental type, and as much as he would like be tutored by Taekwoon, he also didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable and if this was something the other was roped into, he wanted no part of it.

“Actually.” The voice came from his side rather that from Professor Choi’s mouth. It was soft, a bit high pitched, and quiet. Hakyeon almost didn’t catch it, but it was familiar (Hakyeon had heard it yesterday of course) and comforting; He likes it. “I volunteered so… it’s okay.” Taekwoon seemed shy, opted to pick at the tear in his jeans rather than look at Hakyeon. He didn’t sound like the type to want to tutor anybody, but Hakyeon supposed he’s a special occasion.

Which brings him to the thought that, perhaps, Taekwoon had know they were soulmates when they first met. Maybe even before. Hakyeon wasn’t dumb. The string he woke up with the next morning must have been all Taekwoon, perhaps once they met a string tied them together so they could find each other again. He’d have to confirm on another date. Hakyeon didn’t think Taekwoon would open up much on the first.

“Oh,” he breathes, fully surprised. “Well, if that’s what you think will help, then of course I’ll do it.” He addresses Taekwoon then, turning his body towards him just a bit. “Thank you for offering. It means a lot.” Taekwoon nods in response and then numbers are exchanged, at the prompting of Professor Choi. They were dismissed soon after some further discussing from the claim that Choi didn’t want to keep them from their studies too long. All three of them knew Choi just wanted to nap in his office before his later class.

Taekwoon and Hakyeon exited together and Hakyeon’s hand felt light without the extra force weighing on it. Now that they were out, Hakyeon wanted to speak with Taekwoon about more personal matters, but once Hakyeon turned to talk with him, the soft spoken boy was gone.

***

Minhyuk smacked Hakyeon hard on the arm when he arrived back at his dorm. He was scolded for keeping such information to himself (I can’t believe Wonkeun told me you found one of your soulmates before you did.) and acting on it before he could go with him. Much like a child, Minhyuk latched onto him, lounging on their bean bag chairs. He begged Hakyeon for all of the “juicy details” and Hakyeon recalled the meeting dryly.

“It wasn’t much, Minhyuk-ah...we really just talked about tutoring and that was that.”

“So… when do you get to see him?” Wonkeun butt in from his desk chair, typing away at his laptop. Hakyeon was silent.

“Hakyeon-ah… don’t tell me…” When Hakyeon didn’t answer, Minhyuk sighed. “You didn’t… make a date?” Hakyeon shook his head, sheepish.

“I tried! But when we walked out, he kind of just… disappeared.”

“...Disappeared?” Spinning around to face the other two, Wonkeun was much more invested in the conversation. “What do you mean by ‘disappeared’?”

“I don’t know! He was there and then he was gone!” He was exasperated, and a bit frustrated. It was amazing how he managed to let Taekwoon slip through his fingers twice. But, he does have a reliable means of contact now, and that more comforting than the thought of having another string again.

“Do you… maybe…”

“Wait! Yes. I do.” Minhyuk jerked up from his spot on Hakyeon’s lap.

“You have his number and you didn’t think about texting him?” Both Minhyuk and Wonkeun were looking at him like he was stupid. Hakyeon scowled.

“Of course I did! But I’m scared! What if he doesn’t text back? He just left like that for why?”

“For why, uhhh maybe he’s scared too? He gave you his number for a reason Hakyeon text him. Now.” Minhyuk looked mean, arms crossed and brows furrowed. Hakyeon frowned, looking down at his phone placed beside his feet. He gets caught, and Minhyuk snatches it before Hakyeon can save it. He holds it up tauntingly in front of Hakyeon’s nose, yanking it away when Hakyeon makes to grab it.

“I’m not giving it back until we talk about what we’re gonna say to him!”

“We?”

“Yes!” The two of them speak in unison, and Hakyeon feels a little attacked. He grimaces, reaching for his phone again. It gets deeper when Minhyuk moves it away again.

“I can text him by myself! I’m not a baby!” The two of them laugh. Hakyeon sighs in defeat. “Fine. Let’s text him then.” Minhyuk scoots closer to Hakyeon so Wonkeun can sit next to him on their bean bag chairs. Hakyeon crosses his arms, peering at his phone screen protectively. He watches as Minhyuk opens his text messaging app and smacks him on the arm when he gets a little too nosey. Minhyuk opens a new message before looking at Hakyeon expectantly.

“Don’t you remember his name?”

“Don’t you have him under some romantic contact name?”

“No?? We just met??” 

“You’re so…not romantic…” Wonkeun jabs, side eyeing Hakyeon and Minhyuk rolls his, typing Jung Taekwoon into the “To:” section. His number popped up and Minhyuk selected it, pursing his lips as tapped the message bar.

“What’s he like, Yeonnie? I need to write the perfect message.” 

“Uh. Shy? He doesn’t talk a lot.”

“Cool.” He begins to type, slowly repeating his words. ”Hi! Is this Jung Taekwoon? It’s Hakyeon from earlier.” He glances at Hakyeon. “Is that good?” Hakyeon shrugs.

“I guess?” Minhyuk hit send and they all held their breath. It only took a minute or two before the ‘read’ symbol appeared (Hakyeon was startled for a moment, he had forgotten that read receipts had existed at all, but if there was anyone he knew that would have them turned on, it would be Taekwoon. He’s unsurprised.), the little typing bubble popped up immediately. The response was quick and short.

“Hello”

“He’s… kinda… dry?” Minhyuk looks towards Wonkeun for confirmation, and the other nods and purses his lips. “I was wondering if you’d like to meet up some time?” Hakyeon tsks.

“Don’t you think that's too…”

“Straightforward?” Wonkeun supplies and Hakyeon nods. 

“No, he seems like he likes that.” He begins typing again. “Just to get to know each other and talk about what I need to learn. Stuff like that” Hakyeon didn’t even get a say before he hit send and he wanted desperately to get his phone back.

“Sure” Came the response. Apparently he texted like he spoke in real life. Hakyeon managed to catch Minhyuk off guard, snatching his phone with a scowl. 

“There’s this really nice cafe I know that’s close to school! Just let me know whenever you’re free! Maybe sometime after class on Tuesday?” Wonkeun and Minhyuk began to get nosey, trying to peer over Hakyeon’s shoulder. Each time he turns away with a dirty look, before becoming fed up and climbing onto his bed. Minhyuk whines when Hakyeon’s phone dings.

“That’s fine. After class is good” Hakyeon clutches the phone to his chest, turning his nose up at his friends below him.

“He said we can go get coffee after class.” Hakyeon relays, a bit snobbishly. Minhyuk gasps, the two of them the floor getting overly excited.

“He said that?” Wonkeun nearly shouts and Hakyeon grimaced.

“Well, I said it really, but he agreed!” Their faces fall and Minhyuk sucks on his teeth.

“Don’t get us excited like that!”


	3. So I Can’t Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakyeon finds out why he’s been feeling so sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello ur least fave fic author is back with more writing,,,,, I hope u enjoy !!!!! hopefully this is more up to par ,,,,,

Tuesday came around a lot faster that Hakyeon had anticipated. Lately he’s been drowning in surprise essays that technically aren't due until the next week, but Hakyeon wanted to get them out of the way anyways. He had a feeling that after Tuesday (tomorrow) he won’t be able to concentrate on much. Even now it’s hard to concentrate, the anticipation of talking with his soulmate privately in addition to feeling Taekwoon’s eyes on him throughout his English class had Hakyeon’s mind feeling a bit fuzzy. A part of him wishes that this were a bit easier, that he could just text Taekwoon everything that he wants to say, but he knows speaking in person is more appropriate and possibly what Taekwoon would prefer. He didn’t seem the type to like texting, and Hakyeon wasn’t confident enough to call him quite yet. It was rare that they even texted, anyways, Taekwoon had never hit Hakyeon up, and Hakyeon himself only contacted him for things related to class or tutoring. Often, if no one else was around to help him, Hakyeon would send words or phrases that Hakyeon didn’t understand and Taekwoon would kindly (though bluntly) help him.

That didn’t make Hakyeon any less anxious though, Hakyeon is a fairly emotional person (the sad effects of being a cancer) and while he knows he shouldn’t take Taekwoon’s detachedness personally, he still does. In his head, he understands that Taekwoon is quite shy, but Hakyeon feels that maybe he should put in more of an effort to get to know his own soulmate better. Sometimes Hakyeon feels rejected, as if Taekwoon wants nothing to do with him soulmate wise, perhaps just wants to be acquaintances at best. He’s a bit of a romantic and not being such with his soulmate makes him a little sad. But he’ll respect Taekwoon’s boundaries either way, really he’s just happy to have contact with him at all. 

On top of the general stress of school and the soulmate business, Hakyeon was getting sick, and that only soured his mood further. He had never liked being sick, waking up to vomit in the small trash can beside his bed was terrible and he whined about his stomach cramps throughout the day. Every so often he would feel a bit better, but then the pain would come back full force and Wonkeun would have to deal with Hakyeon’s tears. Wonkeun had told him countless times to go see someone about it, but Hakyeon was a busy man and he couldn’t be bothered. Stomach bugs tend to go away quick, so Hakyeon didn’t mind as much as he would if he had gotten a cold or some other sickness. For the most part, he tried to ignore it.

The sun streamed through his car window, his first one since moving that he saved up so much for. It took him almost all semester to work for, the local library paid well, enough to support Hakyeon and how much he liked to go out with friends, but not enough to afford his red 2005 Ford Crown Victoria super quick. Right now, Hakyeon was relaxed, resting in the parking lot of the library after his early shift. His afternoon class was cancelled today, the stress of writing his essays seeping out of him with every word that he read of the email. Perhaps he’ll take the rest of the day off, maybe he’ll read the new book that he had snatched as soon as it had arrived, or maybe he’ll take the longest nap he’s ever had. The sunlight had made him feel warm and sleepy, Hakyeon would fall asleep right here if he could. 

_Ding!_

Hakyeon’s phone buzzed from the cupholder, his ringtone coming in through the speakers (he was lucky that he managed to get a car with an aux cord). For a good minute, Hakyeon didn’t even bother, glanced down once and then lied back on his seat. The screen wasn’t even facing him. But then two more dings interrupted the soft music Hakyeon was playing, his water bottle shaking where the corner of his phone touched it through the cup holder. Sighing, Hakyeon lazily reached for his phone, peeking at the screen with one eye. Oh. Hakyeon sits up then, blinking. 

_Jung Taekwoon (♡)_

_Hey, Hakyeon?_

_Are you busy?_

_I was wondering if we could meet up early?_

Hakyeon nearly choked on his own spit, thoroughly surprised. Then he felt anxious, he was relying on today to mentally prepare for their meeting. A wave of calmness washed over him and Hakyeon breathed out, relaxing. Although he’s quite nervous now, Hakyeon’s kind of glad Taekwoon had wanted to meet early, even if it was a bit out of character for him. It means that whatever needed to be done got done, and that always left Hakyeon satisfied. But mostly, Hakyeon just really wanted to talk to him. 

_Ding!_

Hakyeon’s phone went off again

_Im sorry if this is out of the blue I just… need to see you_

_⌲ no no it’s okay !! im not busy anyways if you’d like to meet somewhere?_

_⌲ id like to see you too_

Hakyeon taps on his steering wheel nervously. His heart had fluttered, at first (“I need to see you” gosh, that was romantic), but something tells him that it’s a little urgent, and it’s worrying. He wasn’t sure what to expect. Before he could dwell on the matter, Hakyeon’s phone lit up.

_Would it be okay with you if we met at my apartment?_

_⌲ uhm sure! I don’t mind!_

_Hakyeon bites his lip, considering._

_⌲ is everything okay??_

_Everything’s fine, I think? I don’t know._

_Here’s my address_

_⌲ :( okay…_

_⌲ I’ll be by soon!_

_Thanks, Hakyeon._

Breathing out, Hakyeon pulls his seat up to a sitting position and starts the car properly. His stomach had begun hurting again, but Hakyeon was too distracted to really think aboutit now, pulling Taekwoon’s address up on Google Maps since he still didn’t know his way around too well. As he put his seatbelt on, he prayed that maybe he won't throw up at Taekwoon’s apartment, and backed out.

***

Taekwoon’s apartment complex was quite nice, actually. It was located a bit farther from campus, but still close enough to be convenient. Inside, the lobby seemed almost like a hotel, it was elegant and pristine and expensive, Hakyeon didn’t feel like he fit in very much. The walls were a crisp white, and contrasted well with the dark flooring and neutral furniture. Stylewise, the complex was a nice mix of minimalistic and contemporary, the furniture a blank, geometric style, but not much at all adorning anything. At the desk, Hakyeon had half expected to not be let inside the main area to get to the apartments, and he had half expected the clerk to inform Hakyeon that a Jung Taekwoon didn’t live here after all. 

Not that Hakyeon didn’t think highly of him or anything of that sort, Hakyeon just found it odd. From what he’s seen so far, many college students live like he is now, in a dorm or apartment with roommates, hardly getting by with small jobs in retail, food, etc. Perhaps Taekwoon’s parents are rich, or something like that. Eventually Hakyeon will be brave enough to be nosey. It doesn’t really take that long for him to get an earful of gossip from anybody anyways.

Apparently the desk staff were informed that Hakyeon would be arriving. As soon as he said who he was here to visit, he was handed a personal guest pass, one with his own name on it. When it was given to him, Hakyeon was a bit taken aback, but he supposed that even if they don’t act like true soulmates, he’ll be around often for tutoring and such. But the thought that Taekwoon wanted him around enough to tell the staff to make him a personal access card made him feel warm inside and his stomach hurt a little less. After he received his card he was directed past the desk to a row of elevators. He pressed the button, using the wait time to shoot a text to Taekwoon that he was on his way up, and to ask what floor he was on.

_Cool_

_I’m on floor six, my number is 23_

The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival and Hakyeon entered, confused when he didn’t see buttons. Oh. He pressed his card up to small panel towards the side, a bit raised up from the rest of the wall. It lit up, two rows of buttons appearing on the screen. He pressed number six, and the elevator made a noise. Interesting. A second passed, and the elevator began to move. Fancy. Everything was… fancy. The elevator stopped twice before Hakyeon arrived at Taekwoon’s floor, and each person was dripping with a sort of rich aura. Hakyeon found himself shuffling to the side whenever someone stepped on, as if he was not worthy of standing next to them.

Once he arrived to Taekwoon’s floor, he tentatively stepped outside. His guts were twisting, his anxiety was back full force now that he was close. Recently his moods have been so unstable, he was calm one moment then anxious the next; It gave him whiplash. Breathing deeply, Hakyeon made his way down the hall, willing himself to relax. Arriving at Taekwoon’s door sweaty and shaking would do no good for either of them. The walk to Taekwoon’s apartment only took a couple minutes, though the floor layout was a bit odd and the confusing directions didn’t help much. Eventually Hakyeon arrived, and he stood nervously in front of the door for a couple of seconds, physically shaking the nerves off of himself. Then, he knocked.

Only seven seconds (Hakyeon had counted under his breath) passed until the sound of a deadbolt unlocking pierced the soft silence in the hallway, the door slowly opening. Oh. Taekwoon was gorgeous. Not that Hakyeon didn’t think he was gorgeous when they first met or any of the times he saw him afterwards, but he was especially beautiful today. Through the opening, Hakyeon could see Taekwoon, standing beside the door a bit awkwardly, but cute nonetheless. If he were to be brutally honest, Taekwoon looked like shit, he was paler than normal and dressed in pajamas that seemed to be a couple days old. But he seemed relaxed, casual. Taekwoon was generally high strung and the relief on his face did wonders.

Fire sparked in Hakyeon’s bones. He had only been standing there for a minute at most, but it was just now that they had made eye contact. Hakyeon could feel the burning speed through his veins and into his heart and burst, sending pure oxytocin and serotonin into Hakyeon’s soul. His stomach cramps vanished and Hakyeon felt refreshed and healthy, no longer tired. Hakyeon couldn’t tear his eyes away from Taekwoon. Colour filled his face once again, the bags under his eyes disappeared and he didn’t appear sick anymore. It was as if seeing each other healed them, and suddenly, Taekwoon was more beautiful than Hakyeon thought.

“Come in.” Taekwoon whispered, breathless.

***

Taekwoon’s apartment was just as nice as the rest of the building. It was very minimalistic, which Hakyeon found had fit Taekwoon fairly well. The walls were a dark grey, borderline black, and the floors were a white, fuzzy carpet. Hakyeon toed his shoes off at the tile by the door, afraid to dirty the carpet. Taekwoon just padded around in socks, leaving Hakyeon in the living room to make tea in the kitchen. It wasn’t very far, so it wouldn’t have been considered rude, the living room faded off into the kitchen on the side, only separated by a large island. 

At the end of the living room was a spiral staircase and a floor to ceiling window, and Hakyeon’s attention flitted between the view and Taekwoon’s back in the kitchen. He stood awkwardly, though Taekwoon had said that he could sit down. But something inside Hakyeon told him that he couldn’t until Taekwoon was with him. It left Hakyeon antsy, impatient, like he needed Taekwoon with him forever. He wonders if Taekwoon feels like this, too.

It didn’t take long for the tea to finish up and Taekwoon to shuffle into the living area. He handed Hakyeon his tea, and the both of them shivered when their fingers touched. Taekwoon just sighed, and walked to the couch. Hakyeon didn’t know what that meant. He went around they other side either way, sitting at a comfortable distance away from the other. Taekwoon sipped at his tea and so did Hakyeon, just to have something to do in the silence. After he finished, Taekwoon wiped his mouth on his sleeve and turned his body towards Hakyeon.

“I’m sorry.” Hakyeon tilted his head, expression confused. A little frown appeared on Taekwoon’s face as he looked down at his lap and Hakyeon’s heart skipped. He was so cute.

“For what?”

Taekwoon picked at a hole in his pajama pants, avoiding Hakyeon’s gaze. “M’ sorry for pushing you away I suppose, mentally. I didn’t mean to sort of… reject you. I’m just not very good at talking to people.” He bites his lip, cheeks puffing out as he sighs. “It isn’t that I’m not… interested or anything I’m just scared I guess? You’re my first soulmate.”

“Oh,” Hakyeon breathes. Reject. It dawned on Hakyeon then, and he really should have noticed earlier, but his mind has been occupied lately and everything else had faded and dulled. Most people generally knew this, but it wasn’t often that it happened so it seemed to float out of people’s memories, but when someone rejects their soulmate? Both parties become sick. In extreme cases they could die, but it was rare. Society was heavily based around soulmate culture and few people didn’t want to be with their soulmates. In a way it was relieving, Hakyeon wasn’t truly sick and neither was Taekwoon, but the fact that Taekwoon had rejected him in the first place had Hakyeon lightheaded.

Hakyeon apologises and Taekwoon shakes his head. “It’s not your fault.” He mumbles, and Hakyeon realises that this must be really hard for the other, and he confirms. “It’s just my own insecurities I guess. I wasn’t really prepared to meet one of you so soon. I’ve never been good at opening up to people anyways.” His voice is shaking and Hakyeon’s heart falls. Something inside him wants to hold Taekwoon, pet his hair and tell him it’s okay. Hakyeon settles with reaching out, uncertain, but he continues anyways, placing his hand over Taekwoon’s on his thigh.

“It’s okay.” Perhaps it hurt a bit, but Hakyeon understood despite that. “You don’t have to explain anything if you don’t want to. I understand.” Hakyeon speaks quietly, the moment is intimate and fragile, and Hakyeon’s afraid that speaking too loud might break the scene. But Taekwoon shakes his head, quietly turning his hand over so that it fits in Hakyeon’s. He stares at it, squeezing, and Hakyeon’s body feels warm. When he looks back up, Taekwoon is blushing. Cute.

“I think…” Taekwoon continues after a moment of them just… basking in each other. “I think you deserve to have an explanation though. We’re supposed to be together forever aren’t we? We need to learn each other and feel each other. It just might take longer with me.” Hakyeon nods, gripping his hand.

“Of course. Take your time, Taekwoon, we don’t have to start as boyfriends. We don’t even have to become boyfriends if you don’t want to. It isn’t always like that.” Platonic soulmates weren’t impossible, even if the general amount were romantic. Sometimes people didn’t click like that, but were made for each other in a different way and Hakyeon didn’t mind, as long as Taekwoon was happy. Back home, his younger cousin had found his soulmate when he was very young, and they’re still young now. What they had together didn’t have to be romantic and they were both okay with that.

Taekwoon shakes his head again, using his other hand to sip at his tea. Hakyeon had forgotten about his, and copied his movements, even if it was now cold. Clearing his throat, Taekwoon shifted. “I’d love to be… boyfriends, at some point Hakyeon, I just need time to be able to open up.”

Hakyeon nods. “I understand.” His thumb rubs against the top of Taekwoon’s hand and he watches as he shivers. “I’ll wait as long as you need me to.” Whispering out a thank you, Taekwoon drinks his tea properly now, though he still hasn’t let go of Hakyeon’s hand. They were comfortable like that though, Taekwoon’s television was playing something low in the background and the two of them sat, soaking in each other’s company and sorting out their thoughts. It was peaceful, and Hakyeon found himself enjoying their silence, something new for him.

***

“...how many of our soulmates have you met?” The question had caught Hakyeon a bit off guard; by now the tv has gone quiet and the low hum of his dishwasher running was the only sound they could hear over their own breathing. More importantly, Taekwoon’s word choice made Hakyeon ponder. How many of our soulmates. Our. Did Taekwoon have six soulmates as well? What if he had only three of them?

“You have other soulmates too?” Taekwoon nods.

“I’m not sure if you have as many as I do but… I have five. Including you.” Hakyeon relaxed then, sighing.

“Me too! I was almost worried that we didn’t have the same amount.” Taekwoon laughs, a bit nervous, but smiles anyways.

“Yeah. I’m glad we do.” Hakyeon shucks his coat off then, lifting his right arm and pulling the sleeve of his shirt up to reveal his soulmarks. A soft little “ah” tumbled out of Taekwoon’s mouth, and his left hand reached out.

“You can touch them if you want.” Hakyeon shrugs, fingers padding over the greener one. “This one’s yours, I think. I haven’t met anyone else.” Taekwoon’s fingertips brush over the mark, and Hakyeon feels a tingle run through his body. Taekwoon jerks his hand away like been shocked. His hand rises up again to touch at the rest of them, and Hakyeon watches as red colours his cheeks.

“I’d show you mine, but you can’t really see them.” He looks down at his hand and wiggles his fingers anyways, watches them. Something's happening that Hakyeon can’t see, but he thinks he knows what it is anyways.

“It has to do with strings, doesn’t it.” Taekwoon looked up at him, a bit surprised as he nodded, but he stayed silent. “The day after I saw you for the first time, the day of the meeting, I woke up with a thread connected to my finger.” He points his finger up. “It was connect to yours, and when I saw you I watched it shrivel up and burn.” Taekwoon looks back down at his hands.

“Oh. I didn’t know that you saw that too. I guess that’s some sort of perk it has. But yeah, I have strings connected to all of you.” He lifts his hand up, examining his own fingers. “I can tell when someone’s close by and when they’re far away, I think all of them live around here. Yours was always so tight though.” He looks Hakyeon in the eyes. “I suppose I know why now. But now that I’ve met you, your string is gone.” He says it a bit sadly, and Hakyeon frowns, feeling it a bit. “You can’t see the other ones?” Hakyeon shakes his head no, and Taekwoon nods. A part of him wants to ask why Taekwoon never followed the threads, but he didn’t. Hakyeon thinks that he knows the answer, anyways.

***

Nothing of much importance was discussed after their initial discussion; After a moment of silence Taekwoon asked if he wanted to stay for dinner, and Hakyeon did, even though their dinner consisted of Chinese Takeout (it wasn’t like real food from restaurants in China, Hakyeon had commented and Taekwoon raised his eyebrows) and watching a few episodes of some anime that Taekwoon had been binging before Hakyeon had arrived. For the most part, they were comfortable with each other’s silence and it was nice. Hakyeon tended to make off handed comments while watching things, and Taekwoon would only make noises in response, but it never put Hakyeon off like it normally would (he hated being brushed off or ignored).

Perhaps Hakyeon had stayed a bit longer than he had intended to; Taekwoon had begun dozing off, and promptly kicked Hakyeon out so he could rest properly. Neither of them had realised that it had gotten so late until then, Hakyeon had checked his watch and suddenly it was one in the morning and they had been together for ten hours. When Hakyeon had finally stepped out of the building, it was dark, the streetlight illuminating parts of the road, but it was still a bit unsettling; Cars weren’t passing by and neither were any people. As he walked to the entrance of the parking garage, he saw a figure of a man disappear into an alley, and that was that.

***

Wonkeun was pacing when Hakyeon arrived back at the dorm. Hakyeon has never seen Wonkeun quite so upset before, he was generally calm and happy, even on his off days. But Hakyeon saw the raw concern on his face through flashes of anger, and it dawned on Hakyeon that he hadn’t spoken to anyone in the time that he was with Taekwoon and Wonkeun was probably worried sick when Hakyeon hadn’t shown up before ten, which is definitely past the time Hakyeon is usually home anyways. Oops.

“Where’s your phone?” Hakyeon feels like he’s getting scolded by his parents (which is a bit odd, considering he’s always been the parent friend, a mother hen if you will) but he pulls it out anyways, cringing when he sees the amount of missed messages and calls from his friends (mostly Wonkeun, but he saw Minhyuk pop up often too). It wasn’t like he meant to ignore them, sort of. He just put his phone on silent and muted any group chats when he’s over with someone so nothing gets interrupted. But… perhaps he did ignore a few calls (really it wouldn’t have been impolite to excuse himself and answer, but the show they were watching was just too good) and it seemed to be biting him in the ass now.

“Mmhmm.” Wonkeun crosses his arms at Hakyeon. “I hope that you have a good excuse, young man.” Hakyeon took the snark that was about to come out and shoved it back down his throat. It wasn’t often that Hakyeon needed to be scolded, so he let Wonkeun have it this time.

“Sorry,” he mumbles as if he actually was, moving to his wardrobe to collect his pajamas and shower stuff. He figured that he had a good enough excuse anyways, and he could probably use it against Wonkeun if he wanted to. “I was just with Taekwoon.”

“... you were what now?” Hakyeon smiles to himself, spinning around to face Wonkeun, who was now sitting at his computer chair.

“I was just with Taekwoon! He invited me to his apartment after work today. I guess time flies by when you’re having fun!”

“Hakyeon! You went over to Taekwoon’s and didn’t? Think to tell us?” Hakyeon shrugs, collection his things and opening the door.

“I guess it must’ve slipped my mind!” The door shuts loudly behind him.


	4. I'm Closing my Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakyeon and Taekwoon meet up for tutoring, and maybe some other things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i hope u appreciate this chapter bc i went and manually put in all of the italics that i usually have,,, ao3 takes them off when i copy paste from docs n usually im just too lazy to go and fix it but,,, honestly,,, the italics rly give it a flow so,,, i had to,,,, anyways enjoy i hope u saw the updated tags >:3c

Surprisingly, Hakyeon wakes up on time this morning. Wonkeun was still asleep, since he didn’t have any morning classes today, and Hakyeon was jealous. His early awakening didn’t say on his mind much though, as he groggily squinted at his phone from his spot in his bed. It wasn’t his alarm that woke him up, it was actually a few messages that did.

_Taekwoonie ♡  
Good morning Hakyeon!_

_Taekwoonie ♡  
Are you still available to meet up today? I’d like to if you can_

_Taekwoonie ♡  
We still have stuff to talk about anyways!_

_악마 †  
HAK YEI NNDNDH_

_악마 †  
HAKEYON AHHHGGGGDHHD_

_악마 †  
I C ANT BELIEVEDBDH_

_악마 †  
YOUDYDH_

_악마 †  
TAEJWOONSHD_

Hakyeon sighed, scrolling past all of Minhyuk’s text messages to view any notifications, before scrolling back up to respond to Taekwoon.

_⌲ of course !! I don’t mind!_

_Good. I’ll see you in class then_

Hakyeon shoved his face in his pillow, blushing and grinning wide. He felt as if he had a crush which, he did really (but this was a little different), and he felt _giddy_. He felt like he could do everything today with this unwavering smile on his face, skip his way to Minhyuk’s dorm and all the way to class. And when he sees Taekwoon at the cafe today, he could maybe even _kiss him._

Immediately, Hakyeon tries to squash all these feelings. They had agreed to take things _slow_ , very slow, and it would do Hakyeon no good to fall in love (he likes to think he hasn’t already) so fast. In the end it would hurt Hakyeon where he hurts the most (his heart), he loves with his whole heart and being and soul, and if Taekwoon were to decide that he wasn’t comfortable being romantically involved, Hakyeon would be shattered.

Clearing his throat softly (Wonkeun was still sleeping, snoring off to Hakyeon’s right ((they had traded beds after a while of Wonkeun being tired of sleeping under the air conditioner)), Hakyeon fully sat himself up and slid off of his bed, careful not to catch anything on the railings. He was due to pick Minhyuk up from his own dorm in half an hour, so Hakyeon figured the best way to not think about love is to busy yourself.

***

Minhyuk swung his door open before Hakyeon was even halfway down the hallway. “Hakyeonnie!!” He yelled, and everyone else in the hall cringed a little (but at this point they were used to it and didn’t bother trying to scold Minhyuk. Hakyeon would do it better anyways.) but Minhyuk continued to yell and run up to Hakyeon. “Hakyeon! You! Taekwoon!” It was always surprising to Hakyeon how Minhyuk never tired, and Hakyeon had to sleepily bat his hands away from his shoulders before Minhyuk could lock him in his death grip. He managed to grab onto his wrist though, fingers pressing harshly into Hakyeon’s skin. Minhyuk paid no mind when he winced. Instead, he dragged him through the hall to the stairwell.

“Hakyeon!” Minhyuk walked him slowly down the stairs and Hakyeon purses his lips. Normally they took the elevator but Minhyuk wanted more time to gossip about Hakyeon’s life. He sighed.

“That’s me.”

“What?? Happened??” Minhyuk dragged him down the first flight of stairs. Hakyeon shrugged.

“He asked me to come over so I did.” Minhyuk looked bewildered.

“ _He_ asked you? For why?” Hakyeon shrugs again as Minhyuk tugs in his wrist, agitated.

“He just wanted to talk. And we did. Then he asked me to stay for dinner and watch T.V.” Minhyuk glanced at him suspiciously as he opened the door to enter the bottom floor.

“...what did he want to talk about.” Hakyeon sighs, out of exhaustion rather than annoyance this time.

“He apologised for rejecting me.” They leave the building together, Minhyuk wrapping his arms around his body for warmth. “I didn’t even realise that’s why I felt so bad until he said it, but he looked so much worse, Minhyuk.” He looks him in the eyes as they walk down the path so Minhyuk could see the emotion in his eyes. “I wanted to be mad at him for it, but I couldn’t. He looked genuinely sorry, but he also said that he didn’t want to pursue anything right now. He said maybe later, but that always means never doesn’t it?”

Minhyuk pauses, rubbing Hakyeon’s back. “Oh, Hakyeon, I’m sorry. Sometimes soulmates are just platonic, and it’s not surprising if a couple of yours are, since you have so many.” He deflates under Minhyuk's hand, nodding.

“I know. I said that too, I told him that it’s okay if he doesn’t want to, that I won’t mind, but I think I will. I’ve tried hard not to catch anything but I don’t think it’s working and I don’t think it _will work_. I think I might end up pining over him for the rest of my life.” Minhyuk pulls Hakyeon in a hug.

“Just keep talking to him, Hakyeon-ah, you’re charming, I bet you could win him over.” Hakyeon laughs, pulling away so that they could continue walking to class. He smiled at Minhyuk, leaning on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Minhyukie, maybe I’ll take you out for lunch this week.”

“You _will_ take me out for lunch this week.”

***

Hakyeon stayed in his seat once class ended. Minhyuk had left his side with a wink and disappeared into the crowd of students making their ways out the doors. He waited patiently as Taekwoon collected his things. The throng of students began to thin as the filed out, though some stayed behind to speak with Professor Choi or chat with other students. Hakyeon had already packed his things up so he didn’t have much else to do other than sit at the desk and check his email until Taekwoon was done with whatever he needed to do.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Taekwoon speaking softly (Hakyeon knows this because Taekwoon _always_ speaks softly) with Professor Choi, nodding along with whatever was being said until Professor Choi waved him away. Taekwoon turned and made his way towards where Hakyeon was waiting, looking everywhere _but_ where Hakyeon was. Hmm. At this point, Hakyeon was one of the last people in the room and he was glad that Taekwoon was finished. He didn’t like being stuck with teachers alone.

“Hi,” Taekwoon had stopped at the end of Hakyeon’s row, clutching his papers in his hands. “Minho asked me to grade these I hope it’s okay if I do that while we talk.” Hakyeon stands, shuffling past the desks to get to where Taekwoon is.

“That’s okay! I don’t mind. The cafe is quiet anyways so…” Things with Taekwoon felt a bit different today and Hakyeon wasn’t really sure what it was, it was a bit alarming. Hakyeon didn’t _want_ things to be awkward, but they kind of were and suddenly Hakyeon didn’t feel much like meeting today. It was too late now, though, so he just powered on, Taekwoon having to move to the side to let Hakyeon out of the row. The aisle was wide enough for them to walk up the short steps together, Hakyeon holding the door open for Taekwoon. They were silent as they walked through the building, not speaking until they reached the exit.

“Um. The cafe isn’t far, if you want to walk there?” Taekwoon shrugs, shifting his grip on the stack of papers.

“I don’t mind walking.” Neither of them spoke as they began to walk through campus, they let their eyes wander. It lasted for only a couple minutes before _Taekwoon_ broke the silence. “What part of Korea are you from?” It was sudden, and Hakyeon was a little surprised, but not enough to show it. His insides tingled a little, happy that Taekwoon was giving him attention.

“I’m from Changwon! I’ve lived there all my life, up until now!” Taekwoon hums.

“I’ve never been. I was born in Seoul, Yangjae-Dong I think. We didn’t stay there very long, we moved here when I was around three? But we visit often, all of our family is still over there.” Hakyeon nods, squinting when their path brings them to face the sun.

“I don’t really know a lot of people that visit Changwon, so I understand I suppose. Seoul is a nice city though. I always liked visiting there, with friends. None of my family has ever been here before, though, not even on trips.”

“Is it lonely?” Hakyeon shrugs.

“Sometimes. I miss my family, but I talk to them a lot, so I don’t feel as bad. My friends are good distractions. And I have you now.” Hakyeon tries to look at Taekwoon, but he’s turned away. For a second, Hakyeon was afraid that he had made him uncomfortable, but his face was flushed and ears red, and Hakyeon wasn’t as concerned. _God_ , he was just… so good. So nice. Hakyeon didn’t ever want to leave his side. He hopes that he never will. Hakyeon feels something...flowery and soft bloom in his chest and he sucks in a breath, shaking his head when Taekwoon looks at him curiously. When he exhales, he wills those feelings to leave with his breath. They don’t, and Hakyeon continues on.

“That’s good,” Taekwoon breathes, watching the trees as they walk under them. The leaves crunch under their feet and wind blows through their hair. Maybe it’s snowing a little. “I mean, it’s good that you talk to them often, and your friends help you,” he tacks on after he realises that could be taken the wrong way. Hakyeon knew what he meant, but he threw out a “yeah” anyways. They officially exit the campus, cars whiring down the road as they step onto the sidewalk lining the street. Hakyeon’s little cafe was located here, owned by a friend of Minhyuk and Hyungsik’s, so their friend group tended to stop by a lot. A few of them worked there as well, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to quickly slide into a seat to mess around on their breaks. 

“Hakyeon-ah,” Taekwoon whispers into the air, staring at right hand. His _soulmate_ hand. A spike of anxiety pierced into his soul, but then Taekwoon put his hand down and continued on. “Do you think we’ll meet the rest of our soulmates soon?” Hakyeon shrugs (he’s noticed that he’s been doing that a lot, been unsure a lot. He doesn’t like it.), grabbing Taekwoon by the arm and switching sides with him when he noticed him getting a little too close to the edge of the sidewalk. He didn’t seem to mind.

“I… I think so. I dunno, I can feel it?” A pressure has been building up, a tension constant in the air that only Hakyeon could feel. It felt as if it were about to burst, _soon_. Now, soon. Soon enough that Hakyeon feels on edge. And when it breaks, nothing will come flooding out, everything will be sucked _in_. Everything will be sucked in and locked tight, shaken around and spun until the contents come tumbling out. It feels like a giant game of Yahtzee was about to commence and Hakyeon, Taekwoon, and the rest of their soulmates were the dice. Hakyeon wonders what they’ll get. “It just feels like something’s going to happen.” Hakyeon says, because trying to explain how he felt would be much too complicated and take far too long. But Taekwoon nods like he gets it, and that’s enough for Hakyeon right now.

“I think I feel it too.” He says, stopping when Hakyeon does. They’ve walked to the entrance of the cafe now, stood off to the side so that they weren’t in the way of anyone else. The cafe was small and very underrated, so the somewhat large amount of customers stuffed inside was a bit unusual, but Hakyeon was a little thankful; He didn’t mind strangers listening in, but he didn’t really want any of his friends to overhear any of his conversation. Hakyeon didn’t think that they were going to stay studying for long. “It’s kind of scary. But I think, in the end, everything will be okay? I don’t know.” Hakyeon just hums, nodding his head towards the door once the foot traffic has calmed. He holds the door open for Taekwoon as they enter, and he barely hears the whispered thanks under the chatter inside.

Taekwoon seems to have a lot of trouble choosing what he wants. Which could’ve been bad, if Hakyeon hadn’t been paying attention to Taekwoon’s mumbles to himself, he was lucky that Taekwoon’s indecision was due to him being a coffee fanatic rather than being a tea person. Eventually he settles with what he calls a classic, an iced americano because no coffee shop could ever get it wrong. Eungkwan had greeted them at the counter, and it had surprised Hakyeon at first, since the owner wasn’t always there, but it made sense that he would be on such a busy day and Hakyeon hadn’t seen him in a good month at least, so it was alright. Taekwoon observed as they made quick talk, the line was long and Hakyeon didn’t want to keep him from his work for too long and agitate anyone. Hakyeon ordered his usual, a Cafe au Lait of the largest size, and moved on to choose a seat, waving at Sungjae as they pass the counter. Hakyeon leads Taekwoon to a table for two towards the back, a bit secluded. It was where Hakyeon tended to sit when he came here alone, most of the time he did it _because_ he wanted to be alone. The music was softer here and the hum of the machines were lower, the only thing that could be heard really, were the clanking of the dishes, but Hakyeon found the noise to be calming after a while of being annoyed by it. 

“You come here often?” Although it was a genuine question, Hakyeon laughed at the cringey connotation and Taekwoon glared. “Stop laughing at me.”

“Yeah, I come here often.” Hakyeon huffed out the last of his laugh. “A friend of mine owns it, and a couple others work here. We kinda hang out here a lot because of that, but I come here by myself sometimes. The food and the drinks are good, but the family discount is better.” Taekwoon smiles at Hakyeon’s joke, setting down his papers to lean over and pull a notebook and pen out of his bag.

“It seems nice here.” And that’s all he says on the matter. Hakyeon’s a little afraid that he hates it. “We should talk about school things now, though. As much as I love talking with you, I’d rather not watch you fail and have Minho kill me.” Hakyeon sobers up then, puts his serious face on and clasps his hands on the table. Taekwoon opens his notebook, smoothing out the first page, and uncaps his pen with his teeth. “Tell me,” he stutters out around the cap. “What you’re struggling with.”

Hakyeon purses his lips, thinking. “...Everything, really.” Taekwoon raises an eyebrow, and Hakyeon clarifies. “Like, I’m… mostly fluent in English, but there’s still a lot of basic words I don’t understand, plus bigger words that people my age are supposed to understand and I don’t. Some of the instructions in class are hard to get and god, the books? It’s horrible! The writing aspect is hard, it just… doesn’t sound right.” Taekwoon jots everything down, and maybe a bit more, organising his thoughts. 

“Hmm.” Is all he responds with at first, closing his notebook and putting it away. “I thought it was going to be a little more complicated than that, but really… you just need to read more.”

“What.” Taekwoon shrugs, pulling out a small book from his bag. “You said you had trouble reading the books in class because they were too advanced, right?” He slides the book across the table and Hakyeon cringes when it almost knocks into his drink. “And you have trouble writing? Reading more books will help with learning more words and grammar. And if you need any help with assignments, then we can meet up and I’ll help you with whatever.” Hakyeon peers at the cover, then flips through the pages. He frowns.

“This is a kid’s book.”

“Yeah.” Hakyeon blinks at him.

“But I’m not a kid.”

“Maybe not, but your English vocabulary is. Read books like these until they aren’t hard to understand. Then we can talk about big boy books. Maybe I’ll even let you read Harry Potter.” Taekwoon pats him on the shoulder. “Start reading while I grade some of these,” He moves his drink to the side, pulling the stack of paper towards the middle. “And then we can talk about the assignments this week.” Hakyeon sighs, defeated, but a little hopeful. Before, Hakyeon was very much hoping that he wouldn’t have to be tutored, but now he’s disappointed that he _won’t be_. At least, not much. It disappointed Hakyeon, wishes that he had an excuse to see Taekwoon more often, but now he doesn’t and he’s going to have to struggle to find ways to see him without pushing any boundaries too hard. 

***

Wonkeun doesn’t move from his bed when Hakyeon walks into their dorm. He had just been sent on a grocery run, and normally Wonkeun would be waiting for his text to help with the groceries. Yet he had never answered, and Hakyeon got tired of waiting, so he gathered as much as he could and prayed that the bags would stay strong enough. But something was _wrong_ , something was so incredibly _wrong_. Wonkeun was still, silent, sat on his bed starting at the blank television. If Hakyeon didn’t know better, he would think that Wonkeun wasn’t breathing. “Wonkeun-ah.” He calls out, but he doesn’t move, doesn’t acknowledge, doesn’t _anything_.

Hakyeon drops the bags in front of their mini fridge and climbs up Wonkeun’s ladder. He crawls next to him but Wonkeun doesn’t budge, just stares, unblinking. “Wonkeun-ah,” Hakyeon whispers, and the most _heartbreaking_ whimper comes out of his mouth and Hakyeon physically feels his heart _shatter_. He wraps his arms around him then, shushing him.

“Oh baby, what happened?” Wonkeun doesn’t respond for a good minute, his mouth opening as he tries to say something but he _can’t_ , and shuts it.

“Hakyeon… I think? I think my soulmate just _died._ ” A dam breaks then, and Wonkeun’s soul pours out of his eyes and his nose and his mouth and he’s _crying_ , he’s sobbing, and he can’t stop, can form words but they don’t make much sense. “I knew when it happened, Hakyeon, I _felt_ it, I felt it through my whole entire body and my mind and my soul.” Wonkeun rubs at his eyes, hard, and hiccups, forcing himself to stop crying and spit everything out (not that Hakyeon would force him to, and not that he didn’t want to, he just knew he had to let it out but it was _hard_ ). “I could see his life flash before my eyes, I could see _our_ life. Our _lives_ , Hakyeon, I saw all of our past lives and this life and even our future lives but it _hurts_ so much Hakyeon I don’t know what to do?” He looks up at Hakyeon, eyes teary and serious, Hakyeon has never seen Wonkeun look at him so _seriously_ before; It was jarring.

“Sweetheart,” he whispers, brushing Wonkeun’s bangs away from his sweaty forehead. He wipes at his tears with his sleeves and coddles him, brings his head to his chest and holds him close. “I’m so sorry, baby.” Wonkeun’s body jerks with another sob, and his crying starts up again.

“It feels like half of me is _gone_ ,” he chokes out, sniffling. “I never even met him, but I feel so _empty_. I don’t know what to do.” Wonkeun deflates against him. Slowly, tiredly, Wonkeun lifts the hem of his sweater up and slides the side of his waistband down, and Hakyeon sucks in a gasp. When someone’s soulmate passes away, their mark becomes distorted, scared over and disgusting. Hakyeon has seen it before, his own grandmother had one herself, but it was still terrifying to look at. Wonkeun’s film roll was no longer soft, dainty, _beautiful_. It was _ugly_ , scared and bumpy and raised, the lines no longer matched up; it was messy. Wonkeun stared. He touched it, and recoiled as if he were burned. “Hakyeon,” he whimpered, and clung to him, sobbing. Hakyeon held him, rubbed his back and laid him down, kissed his hair and shushed him, and put him to sleep much like he would with a child. He kissed his forehead before he left, brought water and Advil for when he woke up, and began to unpack the groceries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope u all want to baby wonkeun after this like i do lmao


	5. and Looking for You Inside of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dlfjdkld srry this is another filler chapter,,, but next chapter n probably the one after that r gonna be a lil wildt,,, id say where we r now is perhaps the middle of h&t so,,,, the climax is looming over our heads
> 
> also !! i realised that the links for my [nsfw/fic twit](www.twitter.com/nsfwsanggyun) and my [stan twit](www.twitter.com/sweetsanggyun) in the end note werent working so here they r if any of yall r interested ! ill try to fix it in the end note too

Hakyeon isn’t really sure how it happened, but it’s one in the morning and he’s been on the phone with Taekwoon for four hours. Wonkeun was currently at Jisoo’s dorm, and Hakyeon’s glad that he’s been feeling better enough to go visit _new_ friends. There’s still many days where Hakyeon can hear his sobs at night and many days when Wonkeun stays in bed, staring at the ceiling for hours. Hakyeon wishes he could fix it, but he knows that this is something Wonkeun wants to deal with and get over himself. All he can do is guide him in the right direction and be supportive, and hope that it’s enough to keep him going.

It’s been a couple weeks since Hakyeon has started meeting with Taekwoon (they meet around three times a week, and each day Hakyeon falls for him a little more and he feels a little guilty), and it was so...mesmerising. Hakyeon could _see_ and _feel_ how much more open Taekwoon becomes each time they see each other and it just… it makes Hakyeon feel so _nice_. He _loves_ that Taekwoon is revealing more about himself and is feeling more comfortable. He remembers how shy he gets when one of Hakyeon’s friends stops by while they’re at the cafe, remembers how quiet he is with some of his _own_ friends. But Taekwoon _joked_ with him and talked more smoothly with Hakyeon. In general, he talked more, without it seeming so _forced_ (Hakyeon thinks that most of Taekwoon’s talkativeness was forced out, like he felt required to talk to Hakyeon, and the fact that it’s natural now is _relieving._ ) and Hakyeon was _happy._

He could hear Taekwoon laugh through the phone and Hakyeon smiled wide. They weren’t talking much now, Taekwoon was watching some show that Hakyeon had already seen and Hakyeon was working on one of his last essays due this week. They didn’t feel like they had to talk, and it was comforting. Hakyeon doesn’t think he’s ever felt so comfortable like this before. It’s soothing.

“Hakyeonnie,” Taekwoon murmurs, sleepy. “‘M gonna hang up okay Hakyeonnie? I’m tired.” Hakyeon’s heart thudded; Taekwoon was so cute.

“Okay, honey. Goodnight.” The pet name slips out, and Hakyeon hopes that Taekwoon didn’t notice. He’s already reaching for his phone to hang up, but Taekwoon mumbles again and Hakyeon _blushes._

“Thank you for talking with me, Hakyeonnie. I liked it a lot. I like you a lot. I like you.” He yawns softly, and Hakyeon can hear the rustling of his blanket as he gets up and stumbles (Hakyeon could hear the thuds as Taekwoon’s shoulders hit the walls) to his bedroom. “You’re so much fun, Hakyeonnie. You make me feel so happy.” He sighs, and Hakyeon listens as he gets settled into bed. “Okay, I’m hanging up now, goodnight Hakyeonnie.” Taekwoon ends up cutting himself off as he hangs up the phone, but Hakyeon catches the end anyways, and promptly screams into his pillow.

In the back of his mind, he knew that Taekwoon didn’t mean what he said the way Hakyeon had wanted him to, but _god,_ he was whipped, so soft for Taekwoon. He was wrapped around his finger (Taekwoon’s soulmarks were fitting.) and as much as he didn’t mind, as much as he said he was _okay_ with just being friends, he wasn’t. So much _love_ filled Hakyeon, he’s always been so loving, and each day he spoke with Taekwoon, he swallowed down more affection and Hakyeon felt like bursting.

***

Minhyuk shook his head against Hakyeon’s lap when Wonkeun asked him if he wanted to play overwatch with them. Instead he tapped away at his phone furiously. “I’m arguing with Hyungsik right now, sorry.” They were always arguing nowadays, Hakyeon thinks they’re both a little stressed about family plans. Minhyuk had told him all about it (Hyungsik wants to visit Minhyuk’s family during Thanksgiving and his during Christmas, but Minhyuk wants the opposite.) and Hakyeon had tried to give his best advice (really he thought Minhyuk was right, totally unbiased) but he also didn’t want to intrude on soulmate affairs. “He’s so dumb.” Minhyuk continues, sighing. Jisoo nods.

“He’s in one of my classes, I think. I don’t remember which one, but I think it’s the one that I met _my_ soulmate in.” Hakyeon leans over and pinches him, and Jisoo shuts his mouth, glancing at Wonkeun to make sure he was alright. Wonkeun paid them no mind, grappling up to a platform to aim down his sights at an enemy Moira. He would’ve said he was okay, anyways (as much as he insisted he was fine, that he was over his soulmate incident, Hakyeon knows that he visits his grave every Sunday morning with flowers), it had been a month and Wonkeun didn’t even _know_ him to be sad for so long (Minhyuk had called bullshit and everyone in the room had shushed him. Hyungsik had to physically put his hand over his mouth to quiet him. Wonkeun had still snapped at him and stormed out the door.).

Jisoo hisses as the game ends and Wonkeun groans, passing the remote over to Joohyuk for his turn. They were in Jisoo’s (much larger and nicer) dorm (they had a _window_. They had a _couch._ ) today, Wonkeun had effectively introduced his two friends last week and now they hung out fairly often, Jisoo (and Joohyuk, by soulmate association) had blended into their friend group quite nicely. September was coming to an end and it was much colder than a Boston September should be, so rather than adventuring outside like they normally would, they all preferred to laze around inside. They weren’t doing much of anything, but it was peaceful and nice, relaxing. Hakyeon was content. 

Minhyuk kicked his feet on Wonkeun’s lap and whined. He ignored the slap on his leg when his heel hit a little too hard on Wonkeun’s thigh and peered up at Hakyeon. He looked back down at him, smiling, and Minhyuk laughed, rolling on his lap. Minhyuk slid off the couch, sighing. He complains about being too hot and he whines about being too hungry (they end up going to a cute little diner near Joohyuk’s apartment and he makes friends with the waitress, Solji) but Hakyeon doesn’t mind, he’s used to it, it’s comforting now. If Minhyuk weren’t complaining, something would be very wrong. 

In this moment, right here, in a country and a city that he is not very familiar with, Hakyeon feels peaceful. He feels _safe_. He feels _loved_. It might be a little too cold (he has no clue why Minhyuk thinks it’s hot) and the booms on the T.V. might be a little too loud, and maybe this couch isn’t as comfy as his parent’s back home, but it’s enough for him, at least for now. His friends are enough (Taekwoon is enough.) to fill the sort of emptiness that’s been inside Hakyeon’s heart since he stepped inside the airport almost a whole two months ago, to make him happy like his family did. 

As the trees and the people and the white snow blurred when they went past (Jisoo was driving to the diner a little too fast, and he said it was okay as long as they didn’t get caught) Hakyeon thought about the past, he thought about the present, and he thought about the future. He thought about if he’d still be in this city in five years, he wonders if he’ll meet all his soulmates by then (he tries not to think about what would happen if one of them dies), if they’ll like him, what they’ll look like. And he thinks about Taekwoon, he wonders if he’ll have softened him up by then, or if they’ll stay being friends. Maybe they’ll get married one day, all of them, live in a house together and adopt kids and- Hakyeon feels a surge of pure _adoration_ roll through him and he’s soft, squishy, blushing in the backseat pressed against the window because Wonkeun and Minhyuk are messing around next to him. He wonders why this happens, if it’s a soulmate thing where his emotions when he thinks about them are all over the place, why it happens when he’s sad, or scared. Hakyeon likes it though, it makes him happy and tingly inside. It reminds him of the colours pink and yellow, and Hakyeon is content with his head pressed against the cool glass of the window. 

_***_

As winter approaches, the days seem to go by faster and slower all at once. Everyone is rushing to finish up their assignments before Thanksgiving break and the midterm season begins. Time drags on, filled with lectures, essays, coffee refills and reading and every hour feels like a year, but Hakyeon’s so consumed in all of it that he doesn’t notice changes, he doesn’t notice that everyone in the common room has wandered off back to their own dorms or that it’s dark outside, until he looks up from his laptop screen and it’s one in the morning. 

“Are you visiting your family for Thanksgiving?” Taekwoon had asked him during one of their study sessions. The little table in the back of Hakyeon’s coffee shop became _theirs_ rather than just his, they had begun studying together rather frequently now, Taekwoon wanted to prepare Hakyeon for exams early (Hakyeon had whined when Taekwoon told him they were going to have to study more. “Why am studying more when you said I’ve improved?” “Shut up and write your essay.”). 

“No,” his tone is defeated, and Taekwoon awkwardly rubs at his shoulder from across the table. “I wish I could, but I’ll have to save up a little more to go so…. Christmas break it is.” He fidgets, picking at the ends of his notebook so he didn’t have to look at Taekwoon. Hakyeon was an overly emotional person, but never wanted anyone to know that, to _see_ it. But Hakyeon didn’t feel that way with Taekwoon, not much. He let what he wanted to say out. “My mother called me at the start of Chuseok, in September. When I told her that I wasn’t visiting until December, she cried.” 

“I’m sorry, Hakyeon.” 

“I told her that I met you, though. One of you. She was really happy about that.” Taekwoon smiled, shy behind his textbook. 

“Oh. I-I’m glad?” Hakyeon laughs, reaching over to pinch at his cheek and Taekwoon pouts. 

“You’re so cute, Taekwoonie!” He sits back then, taking a sip of his drink (he had a cafe mocha, this time. Taekwoon let him try his one time and he’s been hooked ever since.). “...are you visiting your parents for Thanksgiving?” Taekwoon shrugs, sipping on his _tea_ (Hakyeon was honestly shocked when he ordered it. Taekwoon just said that sometimes he needed to clear his body of coffee.). 

“Probably. They live close by so it won’t be… hard or anything. Most likely I’ll swing by for dinner but that’s it really. I… don’t like being in social settings like that for too long.” 

“Oh,” Hakyeon breathes out when Taekwoon’s hand ghosts over Hakyeon’s. He’s become more touchy lately, isn’t so hesitant to cling, and it does too much to Hakyeon’s heart. He knows that it’s not meant like that, but they’re _soulmates_ regardless and any touch from Taekwoon makes his heart _soar_. “I get it. You don’t seem like you would anyways. I’m sure they understand.” Taekwoon nods, his mood a bit somber now. He seemed to avoid the topic of parents whenever it was brought up, and as much as he wanted to know if something had happened, he knows that Taekwoon was a very reserved person and no amount of prying that Hakyeon could do would get him to open up before he’s ready. Taekwoon sighs. 

“They sorta do, but it’s alright.” Taekwoon is quiet for a moment, looks around and fidgets. 

“Is something wrong?” 

“No! I was just…” Taekwoon gets shy, looking away. “I was just wondering if you’d? Like to come with me? I don’t want you to be… alone or anything. And um. My family wants to meet you anyways?” Hakyeon lights up, heart fluttering. 

“Of course!!” He reaches out, taking both of Taekwoon’s hands in his. He realises that it was probably hard for him to ask, but Hakyeon’s so happy that he’s making an effort to be come closer. Taekwoon just… makes him so happy. “I’d love to!!” Taekwoon grins, squeezing his hands. 

“I’m glad you didn’t find that weird… I don’t really want to be alone either. You make me feel comfortable.” Hakyeon swoons, his stomach flipping and cheeks turning red. “You’re my best friend, I think? I know we haven’t know each other that long, but we talk a lot and I feel happy with you.” It’s sweet really, and Hakyeon says the same, but his stomach plummets below the floor and flutters at the same time. He’s so so flattered by what Taekwoon had to say, but Hakyeon didn’t want to just be his best friend, and that gave him goosebumps, like when something horrible dawns on you. It sits in Hakyeon’s stomach for a while, restless, until it’s time to part ways and it settles with the thought that perhaps being just a best friend is better than not meeting him at all. 

_***_

It’s three days into Thanksgiving break and Hakyeon has been at Taekwoon’s for all of them. Wonkeun had gone home for the holiday, and Hakyeon was glad. Jisoo and Joohyuk had been making Wonkeun so much happier (Hakyeon suspects that Wonkeun might have a crush on them, but he somehow doesn’t pry, that could prove to be disastrous and Hakyeon wasn’t in the mood to meddle in disastrous things when he had his own disastrous things to deal with), but the two were leaving for their own homes and Hakyeon didn’t want him to feel too lonely. 

In fact, _everyone_ has gone somewhere for break. Hyungsik and Minhyuk had gone to Hyungsik’s parent’s in the end (apparently Minhyuk gave him the silent treatment and he cracked within a day) and their new friend Solji had disappeared too. It was lonely at the dorm, and it didn’t take long for Hakyeon to wander off into Taekwoon’s company, asking him out for lunch on Saturday because the cafeteria was closed and Hakyeon had forgotten to go food shopping. Taekwoon had accepted graciously, and invited Hakyeon over to play games (“I didn’t know you played video games.” Hakyeon had said when they walked in. “Not really,” Taekwoon replied back, pulling Battleship out from under his T.V stand.) and Hakyeon hasn’t left since. 

Neither of them saw the point really, when Hakyeon fit snugly into Taekwoon’s extra pajamas (he had a lot) and could use the spare toothbrush from under the sink. Neither of them saw the point, when the both of them needed each other’s company, whether they accepted it or not. (Neither of them saw the point when they were both lonely and in love with each other, whether they accepted it or not.) 

They weren’t even doing anything of much significance; Hakyeon doesn’t think they left for anything other than McDonalds. It was incredibly disgustingly domestic and Hakyeon’s romantic heart was living. They’ve really just been lying in Taekwoon’s bed (it was the couch, at first, but then it got extra late and Taekwoon had offered Hakyeon his bed until Hakyeon stayed over the next night, and they decided that maybe sleeping in the same bed won’t be weird unless they make it weird ((and it sorta is, because Taekwoon is a clingy sleeper and a late sleeper, and Hakyeon has been waking up with Taekwoon wrapped around him)) binging Westworld before the new season starts. 

Hakyeon was afraid that staying over was going to be awkward. After the first two nights they had both shyly reasoned that it would make sense if Hakyeon just stayed over for the rest of the break, since they were having fun and Hakyeon was going with Taekwoon for Thanksgiving anyways. And it sort of was, after they discussed it, but then they cooked dinner together and they fell back in their usual dynamic, a little bit closer if anything. It wasn’t surprising, spending all day with someone will make you bond, but it felt so much different with Taekwoon (Hakyeon knows it’s because they’re _soulmates,_ that’s _obvious_ , but it still made Hakyeon feel some kind of way) and _god_ it was such a good feeling in his soul, to spend time with Taekwoon. 

__

__

On the fourth day they went back to Hakyeon’s dorm so that he could pack proper clothes and other things. Hakyeon brought some movies (he was shocked at how small Taekwoon’s collection was; he really did live off of Netflix) and his laptop, because Wonkeun had been bugging him to video chat and Hakyeon wanted to check up on him anyways. Taekwoon had said that Hakyeon didn’t need to bring fancy clothes, but he disregarded him, packing his nicest shirt and a pair of slacks anyways. If he was going to meet his soulmate’s _family_ , he was going to impress.\ 

Hakyeon tried not to think about that, about how he was already meeting Taekwoon’s _whole_ family. It was _scary_. He was _scared_ , he was going to be spending the rest of his life with Taekwoon (Hakyeon hopes, at least) one way or another and it would be absolutely horrible if they didn’t like him. 

“Hakyeonnie,” Taekwoon calls out, sliding next to him. Their fingers brush and it snaps Hakyeon out of his internal monologue. He realises that he’s been staring at the inside of he wardrobe for the past five minutes, and he looks at Taekwoon. “Are you alright?” His hand is still close to Hakyeon’s, and his fingers tingle. 

“Kind of. I just miss my family.” Hakyeon lies, somewhat, because he does miss them, but that isn’t what he’s been thinking about. The whole being that is Taekwoon consumes Hakyeon’s mind, and it’s both a blessing and a curse. Taekwoon coos, draping himself over Hakyeon’s shoulder and his senses are flooded. 

“You’ll be okay, Hakyeonnie. Just a month till you can see them!” Hakyeon nods, fingers brushing along Taekwoon’s wrist. 

“I know,” he says, and his body felt somber, his bones were a little heavy and suddenly he really needs a nap. “It doesn’t help as much as I want it to though.” Taekwoon pets his head and hums knowingly. 

“It’ll get better. Slowly, but it will.” And with that Hakyeon packed the rest of his things in silence. 


	6. I'm Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakyeon goes to Thanksgiving dinner with Taekwoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what up im anli im 17 and i never learned how to fuckin write !
> 
> hi im back i know nobody missed me but i got a little stuck oof but !! the writing is flowing again ESPECIALLY for next chapter *rubs hands together* im so excited hehehe also minor change to tags its alcohol usage i dont wanna make yall look at it just for that lmao anyways enjoy ig!

Hakyeon and Taekwoon spent the early part of Thanksgiving day at the grocery store. Taekwoon’s mother had shot him a text that morning (Taekwoon was still asleep, but Hakyeon saw it and had to struggle to wake him up; Taekwoon was a heavy sleeper) to pick up some crucial ingredients that she had forgotten, and Taekwoon was the closest that could get them. He went with him to drop it off, and only got a glance at his mother. She looked a bit scary, Hakyeon could tell he took after her, and Hakyeon’s anxiety increased tenfold. He desperately wanted to impress no matter how much Taekwoon said he didn’t need to. Taekwoon had made it clear this week that his relationship with his parents wasn’t incredibly important (Hakyeon still hasn’t been told what has happened-- he wishes Taekwoon would trust him), and that if his parents didn’t like him, it didn’t mean anything to Taekwoon. But it did to Hakyeon, whether Taekwoon liked it or not. 

He watched Taekwoon say something to his mother, nod, and then leave. Their meeting was very short, but Hakyeon was still left shaking in his boots at the appearance of his mother. Taekwoon took one look at Hakyeon as he got into the car and sighed, putting on his seatbelt.

“She’s really not that bad.” Taekwoon’s tone says otherwise. Hakyeon purses his lips as Taekwoon drives towards the other end of the U-shaped driveway, not believing him at all.

“You look just like her. If you got your attitude from her as well, then she really is that bad.” Taekwoon was silent, and Hakyeon took it as an answer. Arms crossed, he stares out the window, pouting. It seems that Taekwoon had lied in saying that his parents were nice- Hakyeon feels cheated.

“Well,” Taekwoon says eventually. They’re almost to his apartment now, if that’s any indication on the length of Hakyeon’s silent treatment. Both residencies were on the nicer side of town, so the travel time wasn’t long, but the silence drew it out. “If I like you, she probably will.”

“I’m not sure you like me very much, Taekwoon.” Hakyeon sniffs, purposefully not looking at him. “You kick me in your sleep. I think you hate me!” Taekwoon looks a little embarrassed at that, and hunkers down in his seat to shy away as if Hakyeon weren’t right next to him.

“I like you,” he confesses softly, and Hakyeon’s heart rate picks up for a quick moment. “You’re a good friend. You’re fun.” And then his heart falls, like it does every time Taekwoon gets soft and sappy; Hakyeon needs better control over it. “...Sorry if I kick you.”

Hakyeon humphs, just for show now. “It was only once, but fine, I suppose I can accept your apology.” Taekwoon laughs then, hits him on the arm and shakes his head.  
“You’re so dramatic.” He says, pulling in to the parking garage. “I think you’d like my sisters. They’re nosey and dramatic like you.”

***

And Hakyeon liked them quite well, actually. Most of Taekwoon’s family was... rather nice, reserved and perhaps snobbish, but polite nonetheless. Really though, they were too quiet for Hakyeon to get a read on them -- cicadas could be heard from outside. It wasn’t as boisterous as Hakyeon’s family would’ve been, the dinner was sort of prim and proper — Hakyeon was glad he had dressed up. It was a little uncomfortable, everyone seemed to have the same eyes, sharp and perceiving. But spending time with Taekwoon taught Hakyeon that it wasn’t always like that.

The house was elegant, Hakyeon felt terribly out of place. It was large, looked so from outside, but even more once you stepped inside. It was white stucco and laced with black trim, pristine. To Hakyeon, the design looked like a mix between Spanish and Roman, odd sounding (Hakyeon doesn’t know too much about architecture), but it worked. The front yard was beautiful, blew Hakyeon away even though he saw it earlier that morning.

“I didn’t know you were rich.” He whispered as they parked towards the end of the driveway. They had come a little late, Taekwoon was not motivated at all, and purposely stalled. “Well,” Hakyeon says, getting out of the car. They had a long walk to the front door, and Hakyeon isn’t sure he likes the unique driveway as much as he did when he got to stay in the car. “I mean I suppose I _assumed_ , I don’t think just any college student could afford your apartment.” Taekwoon laughs quietly. The air outside was peaceful, birds chirped and the setting sun painted pretty colours in the sky. Suddenly Hakyeon didn’t mind walking so far.

“I suppose we are,” Taekwoon walks closely beside Hakyeon, stepping in each stone on the path that lines the concrete. Their arms brush, and Hakyeon’s skin prickles. “My mother is a lawyer.” Hakyeon ah’s and Taekwoon nods at his reaction. That explains a lot about her aura. It was piercing, even through the windshield this morning. “My father is an architect. He built our house.” Hakyeon hums in appreciation, observing the house through different eyes. It was quite beautiful, and Hakyeon was sure his father had a creative mind. 

“One is my sisters is a… scientist — a researcher. She studies brains. It’s actually quite interesting, but she never really liked to share details. It pays well though, my parents really like that. Another is a surgeon and the other is a pharmacy technician. They… make a lot too. Our father designed their houses too. Expensive.” Their knuckles touch as they walk and Hakyeon’s fingers twitch. He wants to hold his hand so bad — it’s so sad.

“And you’re going to be a teacher.” Taekwoon sighs, nodding.

“Yes, I’m going to be a teacher… a disappointment isn’t it?” Hakyeon frowns.

“No?” Taekwoon purses his lips and wraps his pinky around Hakyeon’s. He tries not to implode.

“It certainly is compared to everyone else.”

“I… suppose in comparison it seems dull, but… it’s what you love right? It doesn’t matter then.” Hakyeon’s heart stutters with an emotion he can’t place.

“I wish my parents saw it that way.”

“I’m sorry, Taekwoonie.” He takes his hand in his and tells himself that it’s just to comfort.

***

Dinner was quiet — Taekwoon’s family didn’t seem to be talkative (Hakyeon sees where he gets it from) and neither was Hakyeon, in a situation like this. Much of the conversation was centred around him, where he’s from, what he’s studying, but it wasn’t really conversation at all. It was more so that a question was directed at him and he politely answered, and then Taekwoon’s parents made a noise of acknowledgement and a backhanded compliment, and a family member would nicely comment so the rest of them wouldn’t seem rude. The air inside was stuffy — every person in the room seemed tense and high strung. Nobody laughed, and nobody made casual conversation.

The food was good, though. Taekwoon’s mother had made some of it, and Taekwoon had leaned over and whispered his surprise when she had announced the information. Apparently they hired a chef whenever they host events; She must be showing off for Hakyeon. It was odd to Hakyeon — he could feel her dislike for him as soon as they pulled up. One would suspect that she wanted to make Hakyeon feel more at home, but Taekwoon shot the thought down quickly.

“Oh no,” he said quietly, fiddling with the edge of the cloth on his lap. “She definitely is not selfless enough to think like that. No, she wants you to be impressed and wants to feel superior.” Where his mother was cold, Taekwoon’s father was warm, quiet but not in the intimidating way that Taekwoon and his mother were. His father and his sisters had a wise aura to them, like they had centuries of knowledge stored inside their brains, and would sit you in front of a fire with hot chocolate and give you the exact advice you need without you saying a word. And the more he got to know Taekwoon, he could see those qualities shine from his soul.

(But no matter what Hakyeon said, Taekwoon was convinced he was just as bad as his mother.)

Time went by slow. Nobody spoke but the dinner took ages to finish up, Hakyeon felt as if he were stuck in time, and the world outside the house kept moving. He understood why Taekwoon wasn’t too keen on staying. The two of them finished their meals early, and Taekwoon stood, took Hakyeon by the hand, and excused them. It must have been something he does often, because nobody at the table looked particularly surprised, but Hakyeon could see the disappointment in his parents eyes. He hoped that Taekwoon didn’t notice, but he realises that he’s probably used to it, and that makes Hakyeon’s chest hurt.

Taekwoon doesn’t let go of his hand, even after they exit the house. Instead he squeezes it harder. He’s scowling, and Hakyeon can tell he’s a little upset. He makes an angry noise, has a little pout and Hakyeon would find it adorable if Taekwoon being upset didn’t make his stomach drop. Hakyeon frowns, squeezing his hand back.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Hakyeon internally winces at his word choice, but Hakyeon has always been one to coddle when someone is upset, and coddling from Hakyeon always comes with pet names. It makes people feel loved and secure, he thinks, and that’s his main goal. They walk slower, and Taekwoon kicks at a rock.

“I hate how they treated you. They were so mean. You don’t deserve that.” It was a little surprising to Hakyeon, he didn’t think Taekwoon cared all that much, but perhaps he was a little embarrassed -- Hakyeon would be too. He shrugs, rubbing his thumb comfortingly over Taekwoon’s hand.

“I don’t mind, it’s alright, Taekwoonie. Honestly… I don’t really care if your parents like me, I’m going to be around whether they like it or not. I’m not their soulmate -- I’m yours.” He looks at Taekwoon, right in the eyes, and he can see the galaxy swirling in their darkness. “You’re the only person here that matters to me.”

Taekwoon sucks in a breath and lets out a little ‘oh’. “Hakyeon…” He whispers, but nothing comes after. He looks away, flustered, and huffs. “Even so…” He says shyly, eyes following the stones on the ground. “It makes me mad how judging they can be. How _mean_ they can be. They know nothing about you, but don’t like you because you aren't from a background like theirs. It’s so stupid Hakyeon. You’re so wonderful. I wish they’d stop… being like this. I’m so tired of it.” 

Hakyeon nods, understanding and heart fluttering as they reach the car. “Yes, I would imagine so. I can see why you don’t like to stay for very long.” Taekwoon climbs in and Hakyeon does the same. The car is started, and they drive.

“There’s so much pressure with them, Hakyeon, so much. All my life I had to be perfect and when I wasn’t up to their standards it _hurt_. It’s scary to think about how I grew up.” He shivers, and Hakyeon can see tears glistening at the bottoms of his eyes. _God,_ all he wants to do is _hold_ him, tell him he’s okay and kiss him all over, wrap himself around Taekwoon until he’s protected from the world and anything that can hurt him. “I don’t want them to ruin you too.”

Hakyeon’s heart _breaks._

***

When they arrive home, Taekwoon immediately brings out the wine. They hadn’t made it to the wine and chat part of the dinner, and Taekwoon seemed keen on continuing it at the island in his kitchen. He set the bottle down on the counter and sat, back towards the living room, and beckoned Hakyeon to the seat next to him. Once he was properly seated, Taekwoon took the top off and took a long sip, straight from the bottle, and passes it to Hakyeon.

“What’s your family like, Hakyeon?” He waits for Hakyeon to take his own sip, and takes the bottle back, nursing it for a second before drinking. “...are they like mine?”

Hakyeon shakes his head, accepting the bottle again. “Not at all. Everyone’s very...fun? We’re all loud and lively? Is that the word?” Taekwoon nods, watching Hakyeon with his chin resting on his hand. “My siblings and I were close, even though there’s a bit of an age gap between us— my brother is fourteen years older than me. But we would play around all the time, and our parents joined in too. It was… really nice growing up.”

Taekwoon looks wistful, gazes at Hakyeon with glassy eyes and a shattered heart, his soul is hurting and when Hakyeon looks at him, he can feel it resonate deep in his being.

“That sounds so nice Hakyeon.” It’s soft and yearning, the way he says it. “You’re so lucky. I can see why you miss them so much. I’m sure everyone is lovely.” And _god_ , Hakyeon just wants to show Taekwoon, make him _feel_ what being loved is like, soak affection into him until he’s soft and squishy, no longer hard and sharp, carved like stone. 

“Taekwoonie,” Hakyeon isn’t drinking much anymore, Taekwoon has taken hold of the bottle, cradling it as if it were his child. He manages to coax it from him, and Taekwoon sobs. Hakyeon panics, isn’t really sure what to do, doesn’t know how to comfort a sad and drunk Taekwoon, but he doesn’t want to just sit there and do nothing. So he does what he usually does, and wraps himself around him, shushing him and pressing Taekwoon’s head to his chest. “Oh, sweetheart.” He murmurs, petting at his head, and he can hear Taekwoon sniffle. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s okay.” Taekwoon whispers, hands slowly rising to grab at Hakyeon’s shirt. “I’m sorry.”

Hakyeon hugs him tighter. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m sorry you’re feeling sad.” Taekwoon cuddles in closer, and Hakyeon is left to ponder.

“Taekwoonie,” he says again, coaxing Taekwoon to look at him. “Do you… do you want to come with me? On Christmas? To see my family?” He flushes quickly, the situation a little too intimate. Travelling to the other side of town was one thing, but flying to another country is another, and Hakyeon was afraid it was a little too much. “I just… want you to meet them. It’s fair to return the favour anyways, right? And I think it would be good for you, if you did maybe.” Taekwoon looks at him like he hung the moon (the stars and the sun, too), and Hakyeon’s chest swells.

“Of course I would, Hakyeonnie. I’d… really love that.” Taekwoon looks so happy, eyes glistening and in the dim lighting, he looks so pretty, so beautiful against the background of the city and the stars through the window. Pure, unadulterated _love_ engulfs Hakyeon, douses him in red flames and burns him from the inside out. Hakyeon was so impossibly in love. He was so impossibly in love when Taekwoon fell asleep in his arms, and so impossibly in love when he struggled to carry him to bed. He was so impossibly in love when he slipped in beside him, and so impossibly in love when Taekwoon pulled Hakyeon close, half asleep.

***

Hakyeon spends his first day off this week at work, (Midterms were looming above all of the students, the library was packed and Hakyeon was surprised that he managed to get two days off in the first place) but Taekwoon was now fully confident in Hakyeon’s elementary school book reading abilities, and has finally let him upgrade to middle school. He had dragged him directly to a specific bookcase, which would’ve housed novels of the magical variety, but they had been moved a couple of days ago and Hakyeon had to show Taekwoon where they were. (“You come here often?” Taekwoon had asked, and Hakyeon hoped he was joking. “I work here” he deadpanned. “Do you come here often?” “I’m a literature major, Hakyeon.” Taekwoon had responded with the same snark and Hakyeon felt it in his soul.”)

Taekwoon browsed the books for whatever he was looking for, murmuring quietly to himself. Hakyeon was picky in his book taste, but he patiently let Taekwoon choose anyways, figured that by now he knew what Hakyeon’s general tastes were, and Hakyeon loved that. It didn’t take him long to find the title he was looking for, and he whispers out a ‘yes!’ before standing up straight.

“Here, Hakyeonnie” He hands Hakyeon Harry Potter and Hakyeon snorts.

“They have this in Korea, you know. I’ve probably read it ten times over. Everyone’s already read it.” He accepts it anyways, laughing as Taekwoon smacks him.

“That’s the point!” Taekwoon says it happily as he walks away to look for his own selections. Hakyeon pouts, trailing behind him. “If it's a book you’re already familiar with, it’ll be easier to understand new words because you already know what it’s supposed to be.”

They head towards the classics section, and Hakyeon complains. “... That’ll be boring, though.” He goes ignored, Taekwoon pays him no mind as he navigates through the bookshelves. “Can’t I just… read something else?” Taekwoon shushes him.

“You can after this one.” He says primly, stopping at a shelf to browse through the titles, before selecting one and tucking it under his arm. Taekwoon was the type of person that always seemed to know what they wanted, have a plan for everything and is over all put together, or, at least tries to appear that way. He had come to the library with his To Read bookshelf on his GoodReads app open and on the first selection, and if he couldn’t find it, he would move to the second. But when it came to _them_ , and their business, Taekwoon seemed to be a cloud, his stance morphed and changed with the wind, sometimes there was only little to look at, to wade through, and sometimes there was this huge, dark mass that confused you, made you wonder if you should bring your umbrella or if it’ll clear before you leave the store.

They both seemed to gravitate toward a corner made by a few bookshelves in the foreign reads section. Neither of them had said anything about it, they were just sort of naturally drawn to the area. Tucked beside the wall was a table with green and purple bean bags squished together on it’s right side. An abandoned cup of coffee sat at the edge of the table, and it was still warm and full when Hakyeon picked it up to dispose of it.

By the time he came back, Taekwoon had already plopped down on to the green one and opened his book (The Scarlet Letter. Hakyeon wasn’t a big fan, but he hasn’t really read it to say much.) to its first page. Hakyeon settles down next to him, sat much more proper and mature. He glanced at Taekwoon, so very close to him. There were gold flecks in his eyes, and they shined whenever he shifted in his seat and the light from the window across from them hit his eyes. It seemed that he had a habit of chewing his lips (not that Hakyeon hadn’t noticed before, but he’s never really been close enough to see the results), they were dry and chewed, and Hakyeon wished he had chapstick on him. Or, perhaps, he could just kiss it better. Instead he turns away, reluctantly opening his own book. Taekwoon sighed softly next to him, squirming until he finally sat comfortably, and laid his head on Hakyeon’s shoulder. He was soft, so soft, and Hakyeon knew he done for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i STILL fucked up the links i think,,, one of these days ill get it right,,,, so heres my [nsfw/fic twit](http://www.twitter.com/nsfwsanggyun) n my [sfw stan twt](http://www.twitter.com/sweetsanggyun)


	7. a Little More Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On this day, the universe has shifted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a double update bc i felt bad for leaving u guys for so long n also,, i got a sudden burst of inspiration and accidentally finished ?? but tbh !! im rly happy with the end uwu i hope u guys like it too
> 
> also cw for alcohol n drug use !!!

Minhyuk pounces Hakyeon once he makes it back to his dorm after an impromptu study session with Taekwoon. He’s begging for details and Hyungsik has to physically remove him so Hakyeon can set his things down. The dorm was a little crowded; It seemed like Wonkeun had invited a few of their friends over and crammed them in their little room. Wonkeun was sat atop his bed facing Jisoo, with Joohyuk tucked into the corner, watching their Yu-Gi-Oh game. Solji was sat in a bean bag chair with a girl he didn’t know. (later it turned out that the girl, Hyojin, was good friends with Taekwoon and told him about the time Taekwoon had gotten so scared from a movie they watched the he had to sleep in bed with her. Hakyeon pretends that he didn’t already know how afraid he was of horror films, and he pretends he didn’t know how Taekwoon likes to watch them anyways)

(He pretends he doesn’t know how Taekwoon’s skin feels pressed up against his when he’s clinging onto Hakyeon, cowering after an alarming scene.)

“Hello, everyone.” Hakyeon steps over Minhyuk as he pouts on the floor and hangs his bag and coat inside his wardrobe. “What’s going on today?” Hakyeon wasn’t dumb, he could see the bottles of beer on the floor and rolling papers on Wonkeun’s desk. It smelled like alcohol and weed when he walked in, and Hakyeon was thankful that their RA (Hakyeon wasn’t very familiar with him, he had only introduced himself as Jiyong during orientation, said he didn’t care what you did unless you broke something or got locked out, and disappeared.) was as laid back as he was.

“The dance team is hosting a party tonight because they won their tournament or whatever.” Jisoo had answered as he slammed a card down on the bed and took a sip of his drink; Wonkeun wailed in defeat. “My friend Hyungsik, not this one, is friends with a friend of the dance team leader and he said that we could come.”

“Do you wanna come with us?” Joohyuk untangles himself from the sheets and squeezes past Jisoo to slide off of the bed. “Now would be the best time to party, I think. Nobody’s gonna have the time to in a couple of days.” He rolls himself a joint and lights up, waiting for Hakyeon to say something. He purses his lips.

“Taekwoon might be there.” Hyojin smiled, sly.

“Let me… shower and get changed I suppose.” Solji cheered.

***

Now that Hakyeon was here, he sort of regretted it. The music was a little too loud, the people were a little too noisy, the lights were a little too bright, and it smelled a little too much like weed and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He had changed into some tighter jeans and a silk shirt and he looked _nice_ , everyone said so when he came back into his dorm (they all left together, piled into Solji’s mom’s mini van.), but he didn’t feel nice. Hakyeon had a headache and he hoped that someone here had some Advil before his head burst. Minhyuk had just shoved a red solo cup in his hand and told him that he had a headache because he’s been so wound tight lately. Maybe he should let go (maybe you should get laid, he had mentioned, since Taekwoon was possibly here, and Hakyeon pushed him away.) and have fun. Instead, he was left stood in the kitchen, trying to figure out which pan of brownies were the weed ones.

“They’re both laced with something, I think.” Hakyeon whipped around, his drink nearly sloshing over the rim of his cup (it was cheap vodka that someone had brought and Hakyeon didn’t care very much for it, he was more of a wine and dine person.) and suddenly he didn’t mind being here that much. Fuck, Taekwoon came dressed to kill tonight. Leather pants? Hakyeon didn’t deem Taekwoon as the type to go out much, but perhaps he was wrong. (Hakyeon wonders if he came to get laid like most of the others here, but he shoves that thought down quickly.)

Hakyeon frowns, glancing back at the brownies. “Are you sure?” Taekwoon nods setting his cup down (Hakyeon watches over it, you can’t really trust people these days.) to move to the fridge and pull out a bottle of Bacardi and a can of Coke. Hakyeon didn’t peg him to be much of a rum and coke kind of person either, but perhaps he was going to learn a lot about Taekwoon tonight.

“I tried one of both. The left one is weed, if that’s what you’re looking for. It was okay, I guess. I dunno what’s in the other one and I didn’t eat enough to really find out.” Taekwoon mixes his drink, pouring a little more rum than coke inside. Hakyeon hums.

“I didn’t think of you as much of a party person, Taekwoonie. You look nice.” Taekwoon shrugs, returning the alcohol to the fridge. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Yeonnie. _Damn_.” Hakyeon wished he could pretend that his comment didn’t make him feel anything. “And I’m not, not really. I just come when I don’t feel like paying for my own alcohol I guess. And Hyojin said you were going to be here anyways, so I decided why not. At least the music is good.” Hakyeon dumps his cup in the sink and throws it away, opening the fridge himself in search of better alcohol. Cheers rang out from the living room, and Hakyeon tried to crane his neck to see what was going on (he might not had wanted to be here, but he was very nosy and if he was going to be stuck, he was going to need something to talk about later.).

“Hoseok’s doing a keg stand.” Taekwoon whispers in his ear, and suddenly he’s too close for Hakyeon to deal with. His breath smells a little like alcohol and a little like weed, a little minty, nothing unpleasant (Hakyeon knows that he would want to kiss Taekwoon either way though.), which was a Problem. Hakyeon wanted to kiss him. Hakyeon wanted to kiss Jung Taekwoon so bad that his hands were shaking and he was _right there_ , Hakyeon could turn his head a bit and kiss him over his shoulder, could turn around and pull him down by his hair and-. Hakyeon’s breathing picks up and he almost, _almost_ , does something he shouldn’t. But Taekwoon moves away and Hakyeon closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, wrapping his hand around a stray wine cooler.

***

Taekwoon was making it difficult for Hakyeon to keep himself in check. The more he drank, the more his hands wandered, and the more Hakyeon drank, the more he _wanted_ his hands to wander. Taekwoon seemed to be a clingy drunk, he never quite fully detached himself from Hakyeon’s hip once they had bumped into each other in the kitchen. They had cleared the living room, pushed all of the furniture up against the walls to create a nice, open space for dancing. Taekwoon had dragged Hakyeon into the crowd, _grinding_ on anyone he could, but he held Hakyeon’s hand tight and wouldn’t let go no matter who he danced on, and Hakyeon wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He’s never seen Taekwoon so _wild_ and it was such an odd mix of scary and endearing that Hakyeon didn’t know what to do. 

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon whispers in his ear, leaning his head back on to Hakyeon’s shoulder. He grinds on Hakyeon, dirty and hot and Hakyeon lets him, puts his hands on his hips and dances until Taekwoon pulls him off to the side and kisses him. They kiss until they can’t breathe and then Hakyeon _realises_ , he realises exactly what has just happened and _exactly_ what will happen tomorrow morning (if Taekwoon isn’t smashed enough to forget.) and he jerks away and _runs_. 

Hakyeon isn’t really sure where he runs off to, but he knows he’s gone through a few places. He stopped at the first bathroom once his chest got too tight to keep running and he knelt on the tile in front of the toilet, bile almost crawling up his throat. But it doesn’t, and then his heart feels like it’s going to burst and suddenly he needs to go again. He doesn’t really remember much after that. Next thing he knows, he’s in Minhyuk’s arms in someone’s bedroom and he eyes are wet and nose runny. Minhyuk’s chest has a small wet spot where Hakyeon’s head is and he looks... _upset _. Hakyeon has never seen him so _upset_ before, and he’s a little scared.__

__Then everything clicks again, and Hakyeon sits up. “I’m sorry, Minhyukkie. I just— I just like him so much. Love him so much.” He sniffles, chokes on a sob, but doesn’t cry anymore. Letting out a bitter laugh, he wipes at his eyes, and tries to leave Minhyuk’s arms, but Minhyuk doesn’t let him. “I’m sorry. It’s usually the other way around, isn’t it.” Minhyuk just hums, pets his head and holds him close to his chest._ _

__“I… I think you should take him home, Hakyeon. I think you two have things to talk about.” Hakyeon’s heart seizes, and he feels dread settle low in his gut. He doesn’t want to do that. Not at all. Confrontation with emotions and dealing with them tends to be easy with Hakyeon, so why is he so _terrified_? But Hakyeon is also smart, and he knows this confrontation with Taekwoon tomorrow will be necessary, so Hakyeon takes a deep breathe and stands. Minhyuk gets up with him and straightens Hakyeon out, makes sure he doesn’t look like he’s been crying for fifteen minutes, and sends him off with sweet whispers of encouragement. Hakyeon is just tired now, so tired._ _

__***_ _

__Outside smelled a lot more like weed and vomit than the inside did, and Hakyeon wrinkled his nose as he stepped out. Trash was strewn through the backyard and people milled about with joints between their lips and solo cups in their hands. A few were splashing in the pool, though it was much too cold for anything like that. Taekwoon was found lying in the grass, not too far from the patio, but far enough that nobody seemed to bother him. They were too overwhelmed with their own activities though, it was much more quiet and laid back, the music was soft and fairy lights twinkled -- everyone was in their own little world._ _

__Hakyeon walked over to Taekwoon, not quietly at all (the hosts hadn’t cleared away the dead leaves before the party, it seems), yet Taekwoon doesn’t look up. His eyes were closed, and he looked so sweet, serene. If Hakyeon didn’t know better he’d think Taekwoon were asleep._ _

__“‘M sorry,” Taekwoon whispers, and it’s so quiet Hakyeon hardly hears it. He sighs, takes his time to sit down next to him before he says anything._ _

__He’s quiet for a moment. “It’s okay.” Taekwoon’s head rolls to the side, and he gazes up at Hakyeon. He looks a little sad, and Hakyeon remembers how he can become a bit of an emotional drunk if he’s particularly upset over something. Hakyeon feels bad. “I shouldn’t have run away anyways.”_ _

__Taekwoon shakes his head. “No, I just… went too far without asking.” His voice gets lower, and he shies away from Hakyeon. “Thought you would’ve liked it, but I’m drunk so I wasn’t really thinking straight.” His words slur, and Hakyeon wonders if he really means what he says. Hakyeon sighs again, and the air around them is somber._ _

__“I think… I think we should go home, Taekwoonie. We should talk about this in the morning, when we aren’t drunk.” Taekwoon shakes his head and grabs at Hakyeon’s arm when he moves to stand._ _

__“N-no,” he stutters out, and it feels cold around them. White breath comes from Taekwoon’s mouth and dissipates in the air. “I don’t think I’ll have the courage to say what I need to sober. You don’t understand, Hakyeon. You don’t understand how I feel. You don’t understand how happy you make me, how much you’ve brought into my life. You’ve made me _feel_ when I thought I couldn’t. You made me feel like I could deserve something happy, that I _could be_ someone happy. I want to _be with you_ , Hakyeon. For real. I really love you, Hakyeonnie. _I love you_.” He’s breathless in the way he says it, and suddenly, Hakyeon feels like bursting. A fire ruptured his heart, broke out inside his veins and it took his breath away. He could hear Taekwoon gasp, and they looked at each other with wide eyes._ _

__“Oh,” Hakyeon says dumbly, and when Taekwoon pulls him in for a kiss, he feels the stars and the galaxies and the universe align for a moment, before it all bursts inside his soul. “Oh Taekwoonie,” He whispers inside his mouth, and his hands cup his jaw gently. Taekwoon pulls him in again, and Taekwoon does taste like weed and alcohol and mint, and Hakyeon can’t find it in himself to mind at all. Flames sizzle in his chest and his bones, like kissing Taekwoon has doused them out, only for them to rise where his fingertips press against his cheeks. Taekwoon sighs into their kiss, and his hands come up to cling at Hakyeon’s shoulders, and everything feels a little bit more _right_._ _

__***_ _

__They lie in the grass for much longer than they should. Taekwoon is sprawled half on top of Hakyeon, and he lazily kisses him, misses sometimes and catches the corner of his mouth, and he feels them twitch under his lips. Both of them are fairly sober now, and the cool air keeps Hakyeon awake, where Taekwoon is sleepy and doesn’t seem to mind. Hakyeon knows he should call an uber (they may be more sober than before, but that doesn’t mean they completely are.) but he just… wants to stay here for a while. Doesn’t want to move and disrupt the soft bubble they’ve guarded themselves with. The noise of the party had faded out of Hakyeon’s hearing long ago, and now it was just Taekwoon and the stars and the moon with him. He wants to stay, because he felt time and the world itself shift with Taekwoon’s confession, and it was scary. Everything, even the universe itself would be different when they woke up, and Hakyeon wanted to stay in this moment a little bit longer._ _

__***_ _

__Taekwoon throws up outside the front door, and Hakyeon rubs at his back, whispers sweet words into his ears, and Taekwoon drapes himself over Hakyeon, tired. He leans on Hakyeon in their uber, after he had washed his mouth out with water a girl had offered to get from the kitchen sink (Hakyeon had wanted to get it, but he was also afraid their ride would arrive before he got back). Falls asleep on his shoulder, murmurs Hakyeon’s name into the night, into the air in the backseat of a Jeep, and into Hakyeon’s soul. His fingers are light on Hakyeon’s arm, but they’re there and twisted into the sleeve of his shirt, holding it close to his chest. The flames rise again, and tonight, Hakyeon’s heart has trembled much more that it should._ _

__***_ _

__Tonight, Hakyeon leads Taekwoon through the lobby of his apartment complex (there was no way Hakyeon could take him back to his dorm, even if he’s sure Wonkeun was going to be staying at Jisoo’s.) and into the elevator. It’s empty, as it should be at three in the morning, and god, a sleepy Taekwoon isn’t shy at all. He’s attached to Hakyeon’s side, face tilted towards him and his kitten eyes blink at him innocently._ _

__“I love you.” He says it so shamelessly, so much unlike regular Taekwoon that Hakyeon would be half inclined to say he’s lying if he didn’t feel the words resonate in his soul. Taekwoon leans in, presses a warm kiss to Hakyeon’s cheek, and snuggles into his side, eyes closed. The elevator dings not long after, but Hakyeon doesn’t want to take his eyes off of him._ _

__***_ _

__Laying in bed with Taekwoon like this feels like a dream. Taekwoon is curled into his side, and it just feels so natural, like they’re a puzzle and Hakyeon just happens to be Taekwoon shaped. And he supposes that’s true, that’s what soulmates are after all, fragments of the same star. It’s said that humans are made of stardust, and every soulmate comes from the same one, and once they come together, the star is complete again. Hakyeon thinks it’s true, he has to with the way Taekwoon shines. He so bright. Brighter than every star combined. Brighter that galaxies can glow, brighter that the universe will look when laid out through a wormhole. He’s brighter than anything Hakyeon can think of, if it can shine, well, Taekwoon does it better._ _

__Laying in bed with Taekwoon feels like a dream, and Hakyeon wishes he could fall into it forever._ _

__

__***_ _

__Waking up the next morning is soft. Waking up the next morning is warm kisses and quiet giggles under the sheets. Waking up the next moring is a long, serious talk over breakfast. Waking up the next morning is cuddles on the living room couch. Waking up the next morning is Hakyeon getting lost in Taekwoon’s existence with no remorse._ _

__

__***_ _

__There is nothing greater than the feeling of love swirling around Hakyeon’s being._ _

__***_ _

__There is nothing greater than the feeling of love swirling around Taekwoon’s being._ _

__***_ _

__There is nothing greater than the warmth of their bodies pressed together under a soft blanket._ _

__***_ _

__

__There is nothing greater than the feeling of completeness swirling around in their souls._ _

__***_ _

__Yet the completeness fades, and the sense of emptiness slithers into the back of their heads, though weaker than before. Their puzzle is not complete. Their souls are not complete. There are still four pieces out there that they have yet to discover. There are still four more star fragments to find before the planets in the deepest corners of the universe shift and let their souls transcend. There are still four people to find before they can move on._ _

__***_ _

__The next morning, a boy wakes up in his bed with the premonition that _everything_ has changed..._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh gosh u guys,,,, i cant believe this is over ??? i know i posted this only a month ago but,,,, this fic has been in the works for a year already !!! and !!! i cant wait for you guys to see what i have in store for the next parts im !!! excited !!! i dunno if ive ever revealed who the next fic belongs too but,,,, i hope u guys enjoy mr *** ******** in august !!! thank u everyone for sticking by me even with my mediocre writing and odd pairing,,,, i never see a lot of appreciation for poly 6vixx im glad ur all here in the movement with me anyways !!!! thank u so much !!!! i love u guys !!!!! so much !!!!!! ahhh !!!!! ♥♥♥

**Author's Note:**

> hiiiii its me again,,,,, I hope u enjoy,,,, heres my [nsfw/fic twitter](www.twitter.com/nsfwsanggyun) where u can direct any questions or comments abt this n follow if u want but if ur not comfy with that kinda stuff heres my [stan twitter](www.twitter.com/sweetsanggyun) n u can follow there just dont say anythin abt this bc i have a few mutuals that dont like this kinda stuff !! thank u for reading it means so much !!!! uwuwuwu ♥♥♥♥♥


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